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More than a month after tabling a resolution in regards to a conditional use permit from Union Telephone Company (Union Wireless) and the City of Rawlins, the Board of Carbon County Commissioners (BOCCC) unanimously voted against the resolution on March 18.

As was reported previously (see “Can you please hold?” on page 1 of the February 17 Saratoga Sun) the county commissioners had tabled the permit at their February 2 meeting following public comments and a petition from nearby residents. The tower currently used by Union is 45 feet in height and is located on a water tower near the Happy Hollow subdivision.

Sarah Brugger, county planner, had informed the BOCCC that an initial application to build the tower had never been filed because it was inside the former “buffer zone” between the City of Rawlins and Carbon County.

The conditional use permit applied for by both Union and the City of Rawlins would have increased the height of the tower from 45 feet to 80 feet with a potential increase to 107 feet.

Following a number of comments from concerned residents concerning potential health effects, and the introduction of a petition with 27 names, the commissioners had tabled the permit and requested that Union Wireless meet with nearby residents. 

“We did host a meeting with the residents per the request of our previous meeting with you guys. We hosted that meeting on February 24 over at the Holiday Inn,” said Ryan Schmidt, site acquisition manager for Union Wireless. “We did have seven residents attend. We were hoping for more of the 27 signatures that were on the petition that was presented but we ended up with seven, four of which have been involved in all of the meetings throughout the entire process.”

Schmidt informed the BOCCC that during the meeting there had been consideration to move the tower north so that it was approximately 1,200 feet from the nearest residents. According to Schmidt, that was a move of 335 feet but, due to the loss in elevation, would require the tower to be 150 feet or taller in height.

“After evaluating the cost impact for that and the moving of the utilities and some of the concerns with viewshed for the community itself, moving it that 335 feet is not really going to deter the visibility of what it’s proposed at at the 80 feet today,” said Schmidt. “After our evaluation, we have chosen to stay where we’re at.”

When Schmidt was finished addressing the commissioners, Happy Hollow resident Kenny Wilson addressed the board. According to Wilson, his perception of the meeting with Union Wireless was different than Schmidt’s. Wilson stated that he felt that the residents in attendance were told what was going to happen rather than being solicited for input. 

During the February 2 meeting, Wilson was one of several residents that had expressed concerns over potential health effects from 5G communication towers. In addition to the health concerns, there were also concerns expressed about the impact on the viewshed. 

In that same meeting, the BOCCC had been informed by Carbon County Attorney Ashley Mayfield-Davis that they were unable to approve or deny the permit based on emissions from the tower due to the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Brugger had further informed the commissioners that they could deny the permit if they believed it wasn’t the right fit for the area.

Approval of the conditional use permit failed on a vote of 0-5.

The next meeting of the Board of Carbon County Commissioners will be at 9 a.m. on April 6 at the Carbon County Courthouse in Rawlins.