Planners approve cell towers in residential neighborhoods

Dan Kulin

Friday, May 28, 2004 | 9:16 a.m.

A proposal to change Henderson zoning laws to allow wireless communications towers in residential areas was supported by the city Planning Commission Thursday and is scheduled to go to the City Council for final approval in early July.

The change would allow the Planning Commission to approve the cell phone towers in neighborhoods on a case-by-case basis, so long as the towers are of a "stealth" design, which means they would have to be made to look like a tree, flagpole or otherwise not stand out, Liza Conroy, an assistant city attorney, said.

Other governments in the Las Vegas Valley already allow cell towers in residential areas, although some do require the towers to have a stealth design and special approval for towers proposed for areas zoned for residential and neighborhood commercial development.

In Henderson cell towers are already allowed on industrial and commercially zoned property.

Katherine Engle of Cingular Wireless, which requested the change to Henderson's laws, said the company and other wireless companies need the change to fill existing gaps in cell service.

"With the valley growing so fast, if you get into a very residential area with no commercial areas nearby to put a tower on, you simply can't service that area," Engle said.

The proposed change would not allow cell towers on single-family residences. But it would allow the towers in common areas, on churches and on apartment buildings, where they could be placed along the side of a building, Conroy and city staff said.

The Planning Commission voted 6-0 to support the changes to city zoning laws. Commission member Debra March was absent.