County to debate towers on public land

Could land near Premier Sports Campus be the perfect place for a future cell tower?

Perhaps.

Manatee County commissioners will explore the topic and policies for putting cell and other towers on county-owned land during a Dec. 11 workshop.

Manatee County District 5 Commissioner Vanessa Baugh said although the county cannot place a tower on Premier Sports Campus property without consent of Lakewood Ranch developer Schroeder-Manatee Ranch, it could place one on the other 74 acres north of Premier the county is acquiring. It also has potential to put a tower at the 1.5-acre former American Red Cross building site, on Malachite Drive. Manatee County is under contract to buy that site and is expected to house emergency medical services there.

“If we need to put a cellphone tower up, we have that ability,” Baugh said. “There is no doubt.”

Commissioners on Oct. 4 approved the 1,500-home Woodlands community on a 545-acre parcel east of Lorraine Road, between state roads 64 and 70, but denied the developer’s request to reserve land for a future cell tower. Instead, commissioners suggested the county-owned Premier Sports Campus may be a more suitable location.

“I know it’s always been an issue in my district,” Baugh said of placing cellular communication towers near homes. “Citizens complain about not having cellphone usage … but they don’t want to see that cell tower, either. It seems logical if we can put it on property we own, that might be a better solution.”

During an Oct. 23 commission meeting, Joy Leggett-Murphy, the county’s land acquisition division manager, said on the larger 162-acre Premier Sports Campus site Manatee County purchased in December 2017, there is a 25-year restriction for “predominantly parks and recreational uses.” For the neighboring 74 acres Manatee County is acquiring for a future services hub, there is a 10-year restriction for “public purposes only,” she said.

In general, whether a tower can be placed on county-owned land depends on the property’s zoning, as well as deed and other property restrictions. Under current requirements, Manatee would deem a property “surplus” to lease or sell it to a cellular communications company, she said.

The Dec. 11 workshop will focus on cell and other towers on county-owned land and the board’s policies related to towers.

Commissioner Steve Jonsson said the workshop will be important for meeting the community’s wireless needs. He said if a private provider wants to put a tower on county land, Manatee should be prepared, understanding what it can do and how it wants to proceed.