The Roads Infrastructure and Public Works Committee of Greenville County held discussion Oct. 7 on a proposed temporary moratorium on new cell phone towers and tower modifications and voted to hold the item pending additional legal and policy review.

Councilwoman Kelly Long (District 18) and residents from Greer urged the committee to pause approvals for tower construction while the county develops local rules. "It is time that we develop a local strategy to protect our public health and those we serve," Long said, citing research folders she provided to the committee and pointing to an increase in deployments since 2019.

Frank Tambarolo, president of the Saddle Creek Homeowners Association, described a new 200-foot tower erected adjacent to his 40-home subdivision last April and said nearby home prices and buyer interest were affected. "I am here tonight to advocate for a hundred and 880 day moratorium on new cell tower developments, including modifications to existing towers," Tambarolo said, calling for time to "structure new legislation with appropriate safeguards and considerations."

The county attorney briefed the committee on the legal landscape that constrains local moratoria. The attorney said the Telecommunications Act of 1996 and Federal Communications Commission (FCC) policies limit local regulation of wireless facilities and noted litigation around moratoria: "Long story short, they are not favorable to it." The attorney also pointed to South Carolina's Small Wireless Facilities Act and said the county can exercise some authority over county-owned assets such as rights-of-way, bridges and waterways while emphasizing that any long-term zoning- or aesthetics-based solution will require more study.

Committee members asked how tower permits arrive at the county level and were told that permitting often follows federal reviews, including FAA review where applicable, and that certain permits may also require Board of Zoning Appeals consideration. The county attorney said zoning-based approaches have been the most promising local tools in other jurisdictions.

After discussion, a committee member moved to hold the item and requested the county attorney return with a proposed scope and legal briefing for the committee at its next meeting in two weeks. The motion was approved by voice vote and the chairman said staff would provide a scope of work for the follow-up.

The committee also noted a separate, brief request from a member to follow up on flood mitigation work in the Botany Woods area; staff were asked to provide a briefing on that project at the committee's next meeting.

What happens next: The county attorney's office will prepare legal options and a scope for study — including zoning, aesthetics, and health-related inquiries — and return to the Roads Infrastructure and Public Works Committee at its next meeting for further direction.