GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT
By Adam Powell
Correspondent
CHAPEL HILL — The Chapel Hill Town Council unanimously approved a special-use permit on Nov. 12 for a new 195-foot, non-concealed monopole telecommunications tower at 1721 E. Franklin St. The structure, topped with a lightning rod that brings its total height to 199 feet, will be developed by Network Towers and initially used by Verizon Wireless.
Tom Johnson, an attorney with Williams Mullen in Raleigh representing Network Towers, told the council that Verizon plans to finalize its agreement with the company in spring 2026, with construction to begin shortly afterward.
“It will be a single pole tower,” Johnson said. “The first provider on this site will be Verizon Wireless. My client, Network Towers, wants to build the tower and have other carriers on the tower. So the initial anchor tenant will be Verizon Wireless, but it will be open to other carriers (in the future).”
New tower will join two existing towers
Johnson explained that the project is a modification to an existing special-use permit because two telecommunications towers already stand on the property.
“We’re not coming with a new special use permit, as it stated. It’s a modification, and it is because there are two towers that exist there (currently),” he said. “There was one (telecommunications tower), as I see from the record, built in 1966 (and) another by modification in 1976.”
“Past councils have heard and approved towers at this site, and for that reason, we thought it was in a very appropriate location to put a new tower,” Johnson added. “It’s essentially on a parking lot that adjoins the open field where the current towers are.”
Height required for coverage and co-l;ocation
Network Towers said the tower’s height is required for Verizon’s service needs and for accommodating multiple carriers.
“The proposed height of 199′ (195’ monopole with a 4’ lightning rod) is necessary for Verizon to achieve their coverage objective,” the company wrote in its application. “The proposed height is also needed to allow space for three future carriers to collocate their equipment on the tower and achieve their coverage objective.”
Improved service for residents, students and first responders
Johnson detailed several ways he expects the tower to benefit Chapel Hill.
“Emergency responders often use the wireless network,” he said. “They may have their own personal devices, but other devices may use the network as well. So it’s important to first responders that they have good access to the wireless network.”
Johnson also cited the applicant’s research showing that, as of 2023, “approximately 75% of area adults and 87% of children live in homes without a landline,” making enhanced wireless infrastructure essential for community safety and emergency preparedness.
Engineers navigating flood zones and structural constraints
Oscar Posada, an engineer and Project Manager for Network Towers, told council members that about 65% of the parcel lies within a flood zone and that a sewer line easement makes the northwestern corner of the property unavailable for development.
Posada also noted that existing towers on the site are supported by older anchors, requiring modifications for the new tower’s anchoring system.
Network Towers collaborated with the Town of Chapel Hill’s stormwater management division to design a layout that reduces impacts on the flood zone. The final plan includes a retaining wall in the area most prone to flooding and a perimeter fence positioned outside the floodplain.
Once the tower is operational, the company will be responsible for maintaining the tower and the on-site stormwater detention facility. Johnson said the detention structure “will have to be maintained regularly to make sure it works and functions as is intended over time.”
Adam Powell has been a correspondent for The Local Reporter since 2023. A 2001 graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill, Powell has served as managing editor of multiple local publications, including the News of Orange County, the Mebane Enterprise, the Caswell Messenger, and the ACC Sports Journal. Powell has won more than 20 North Carolina Press Association Awards throughout his journalism career for Excellence in Education Reporting, Excellence in Sports Columns and Features, and Excellence in Video Production. He has also been recognized by the North Carolina School Public Relations Association (NCSPRA) for Excellence in Education Writing and for his newsletters representing Rockingham County Schools and the North Carolina Cyber Academy. The author of four books. Adam currently resides in Mebane with his wife Julie and children Colt and Jenna. This reporter can be reached at:Information@TheLocal Reporter.press
There are a lot of dead or very weak reception areas around Eastwood Lake for Verizon customers. It’s why we still have a landline. Hopefully, this will help.
A 200 foot tower would have a constantly blinking red light, something which doesn’t go over well in many places. Some places haven’t cared to put limits on tower heights. There’s a 330-foot tower behind New Hope Commons that just happens to be 330 feet from the Orange County line and from Chapel Hill’s zoning jurisdiction. Learned a lot about cell tower companies from fighting that one in Summer 1995. Can’t even summarize it.