BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. — The Berkeley County Board of Zoning Appeals recently voted to deny one proposed cellular tower near Macedonia while approving another in the Bonneau area, following discussions over coverage needs, property values and neighborhood concerns.
The board met at the Berkeley County Administration Building on Highway 52 in Moncks Corner April 21 to consider two separate requests for special exceptions to construct towers taller than what is normally permitted under county zoning regulations.
Macedonia tower denied unanimously
The board first considered a request from Airosmith Development, representing Tillman Infrastructure and Hamilton Services & Company, LLC, to build a 275‑foot tower near 1438 Old Cherry Hill Road. According to Verizon, the company currently leases space on an existing tower on Fashiontown Road, but prefers to relocate its equipment to the new Tillman tower if approved.
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“A site relocation is necessary due to unreasonable economic conditions at existing sites that far exceed market conditions, commonly referred to as ‘high rent relocations,'” a Verizon representative wrote in a letter to the county. “The high costs have a limiting impact on carriers’ financial resources to serve a particular community, which then limits a carriers’ ability to expand and improve wireless services needed to meet the demands of its customers.”
Applicant Tami Lewallen of Airosmith Development told the board the tower would be available for county use and said updated propagation maps showed the proposed height was necessary to achieve the desired coverage. She also confirmed the structure would include a 10‑foot lightning rod and a required strobe light, and that filings with the Federal Aviation Administration were already underway.
Board members pressed Lewallen on several issues, including whether the tower met the required setback from nearby properties. Board member Nicole Burbage noted that a 275‑foot tower must be at least 325 feet from adjacent properties, but the proposal placed it only 307 feet away.
“So at the 275, it would need to be 325 feet from an adjacent property, residence or whatever,” Burbage said. “But you’re 307 feet from the adjacent property, and I know that doesn’t seem like a big difference, but is that going to affect what that property owner can build and do on their land? They would be building into a tower zone, and maybe that issue didn’t exist when they purchased their property.”
She also questioned whether the owners of the neighboring parcel had been notified or had agreed to the reduced setback. “Do y’all have any letters from them saying they’re OK being that close and that they know if they build another structure, they are very well going to be in the fall zone?”
Burbage said her concern extended beyond the immediate neighbor. “The rest of those people’s property behind them would now be in your setback zone. Before this tower, they could use all of their property, and they wouldn’t be in that zone. Now they may not be able to build there.”
Board members also questioned whether the request reflected a legitimate property‑based hardship — the type of land‑specific justification required for a special exception — rather than a business preference. Burbage pointed to a letter from Verizon included in the packet, calling it a template that did not appear specific to Berkeley County.
After discussion, the board voted unanimously to deny the special exception.
Bonneau tower approved despite neighborhood objections
The second request of the night drew a different outcome. Jonathan Yates with Optima Towers sought approval to build a 190‑foot tower on Albacore Road in Bonneau. Yates said the tower was designed for Verizon but could accommodate three additional broadband carriers. He told the board the site already housed a power utility, that FAA approval had been secured, and that the facility would not generate noise, odor, lights or vibration.
Board members questioned the distance to the nearest tower — 1.87 miles — and whether major carriers such as T‑Mobile and AT&T could co‑locate. Yates said they hoped to bring all three carriers onto the structure. He also confirmed the tower would be 190 feet with a 5‑foot lightning rod.
Two nearby residents spoke in opposition. One raised concerns about the private road leading to the site and whether heavy equipment would damage it. Another, a first responder, said she had never experienced cell service issues in the area and worried about property values. Yates responded that the road was privately maintained but publicly accessible, and that the company would maintain it during construction.
After hearing from both sides, the board voted unanimously to approve the special exception.
Video of the full meeting is available on the Berkeley County Government’s YouTube channel.
