Hilton Head Island considers more cell towers

HILTON HEAD ISLAND, S.C. (AP) — Officials at Hilton Head Island are considering making it easier to locate new cell telephone towers.

The Island Packet of Hilton Head reports (http://bit.ly/HprP9b) that the resort island’s tree cover, flat terrain and low elevation combine to make cell coverage spotty.

The town staff is recommending that cell phone towers be allowed on nonresidential property with a simple change in land-use plans. That would reduce the approval time to be cut from about nine months to as little as two months.

The current system requires approval by three committees before it goes to the town council. An island task force was told in December that companies are not applying to build new towers because approval takes so long.

Another proposed change would reduce the distance towers must be from homes.

___

Information from: The Island Packet, http://www.islandpacket.com