Communications

tower companies hoping to locate towers in Fayette County will ask for

exceptions to the rules next week.

The county

Zoning Board of Appeals will hear two requests for variances during its

meeting Monday at 7 p.m. in the public meeting room at the County Administrative

Complex.

SprintCom Inc.

wants to build a tower on Ga. Highway 92 south, and is asking the board

to allow the tower 128 feet from neighboring property to the rear, instead

of 200 feet as the law requires.

The company

also is asking for a 134-foot variance so the tower can be only 66 feet

from other next door property. If approved, the monopole tower will be

190 feet tall.

Powertel is

asking for three exceptions to the rules, including a 1.37-mile reduction

of the required distance from another tower, on McDonough Road. Towers

are required to be two miles apart, but Powertel hopes to build its tower

.63 miles from another.

The firm also

wants a 160-foot variance to reduce the side yard setback from 200 feet

40 feet, and a 15-foot variance to reduce the front yard setback to 185

feet. Its proposed monopole tower would be 180 feet tall.

Cell phone

and tower companies have repeatedly complained that Fayette's law governing

communications towers is too restrictive.

The ordinance

was approved more than a year ago, and after tower companies complained

about the restrictions, county commissioners last year modified the law

to allow exceptions if approved by the appropriate body. Before that,

no exceptions were allowed.