BERKELEY COUNTY, S.C. — Berkeley County’s Board of Zoning Appeals unanimously approved recently a 305‑foot cellular tower near Huger, a project county officials say is critical to strengthening 911 radio coverage as development accelerates in the Cainhoy and Huger areas.
The tower, planned for county‑owned property at 1501 Rec Road, will serve as a major public‑safety communications hub. The site already houses EMS and a sheriff’s substation. The request, submitted by Jonathan Yates of Diamond Communications on behalf of Berkeley County, passed with a 7–0 vote.
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Berkeley County 911 Communications Chief Sam Gaither told board members at the May 19 meeting that the project has been nearly two years in the making and is essential to keeping pace with the county’s explosive growth.
Gaither said Berkeley County’s radio system was modernized in 2018, replacing aging analog VHF equipment with a unified digital system that allows deputies, firefighters, EMS crews and dispatchers to communicate more efficiently. But the Cainhoy Plantation area — now projected to add roughly 18,000 homes — was not part of the county’s long‑term buildout plan at the time.
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“As everybody knows, Berkeley County continues to grow,” Gaither said. “Our first responders will be out in areas with homes, restaurants and businesses, and we have to be able to reach them so we can send them on calls.”
Height emerged as a key issue. County regulations typically restrict towers in this area to much lower elevations, but Gaither said the 911 system requires a 305‑foot structure to preserve the “line of sight” needed for the county’s simulcast radio network.
He explained that radio signals behave like ripples in a pond — each tower must be precisely calibrated so the signals overlap without canceling each other out. A tower that is too short would leave coverage gaps; one that is too tall would interfere with neighboring sites.
“At around 300 feet, each tower covers about a six‑mile radius, terrain dependent,” Gaither said. “This height allows us to provide the coverage we need without building more towers and spending millions more taxpayer dollars.”
The tower will also reserve space for Charleston County’s radio system and for three future broadband carriers as the area develops. Yates said the structure is surrounded by nearly 1,900 acres of trees and will not produce noise, odor, dust or vibration.
Board members noted the unusual circumstance of the county requesting an exception to its own ordinance. “As long as I’ve been on this board, this is the first time the county has ever had to come for a special exception on an ordinance they created,” board member Richard Smith said, drawing laughter.
Still, members agreed the need was clear.
“It looks like the citizens of Berkeley County need it,” Smith said before voting yes.
Once the county completes the building permit and site plan approvals, Yates said construction of the tower should take roughly 60 days.
