Residents of

Rebekah Lakes and Surrey Park subdivisions of Ga. Highway 85 south of

Fayetteville will be there in force when the Fayette County Commission

considers BellSouth Mobility's request for a 253-foot communications tower

near their neighborhoods.

The Planning

Commission last week voted to recommend approval of the request, eliciting

loud, angry protests from a crowd of about 30 residents of the two subdivisions.

Shouts of "Y'all

did us wrong," and "A hundred and eighty of us people don't

even count" rang through the commission meeting room following the

vote.

Residents who

had spoken during the public comment period attempted to interject more

comments during the commission's discussion of the matter, and commission

Chairman Bob Harbison at one point called on the county marshal's office

to restore order and escort residents out of the meeting room.

BellSouth representatives

said the tower, planned for a 150-acre site on Harp Road, will be surrounded

But five residents

who rose to speak all pointed out that some day those woods will be cut

down to make way for development, leaving the monopole tower more visible.

Some opponents disputed BellSouth's claim, saying most of the land on

the site is pasture.

The tower would

be unsightly and harm neighborhood property values, the residents argued.

"If you put that in there, that would be the end of any new development

in that area," said Charles Myers of Rebekah Lakes.

Michael Tyler

of BellSouth said the company needs the tower in that location and at

that height to provide better coverage for its customers. Under county

law, the company could erect a 180-foot tower without submitting to public

hearings.

County commissioners

won't hear the request until Jan. 11 at 7 p.m. at the County Administrative

Complex. The commission's Dec. 21 meeting is cancelled for the holiday

season.

The Planning

Commission also voted 3-1 to recommend approval of developer Dan Stinchcomb's

request for R-50 zoning, which allows one-acre lots, for 34.8 acres on

West Bridge Road off Ga. Highway 92. "I've got a problem with this

zoning when you look at the surrounding area," said commissioner

Jim Graw, who voted against approval.

Agent Randy

Boyd said the 23 homes in the proposed subdivision will be at least 2,100

square feet in size and will sell for $250,000 and up.

Commissioners

also are recommending approval of new soil erosion control regulations,

including a minimum fine of $250 for violations. Current law calls for

a maximum fine but no minimum. The new rules also would put a three-year

moratorium on development of any land where the owner violates the soil

erosion rules in timbering the property.