New Legislation Could Prohibit Cell Towers on School Property in Maryland

The members of the Anne Arundel County Against Towers at Schools will be relieved about the new legislation, Bill No. 78-13, that would prohibit cell towers from being built on public school property and restrict them to be beyond 500 feet of a building. This bill was introduced on September 16, 2013 by Mr. Benoit.

Regarding telecommunications facilities, the legislation dictates that the facility must comply with the following requirements.

For a facility not attached to a transmission line pole or tower that is located within 100 feet of a transmission line right-of-way:

 (i) the principal structure shall be located at least 500 feet from any offsite dwelling AND MAY NOT BE LOCATED ON A LOT CONTAINING A SCHOOL;

 (ii) the facility may not exceed 199 feet in height;

 (iii) the principal structure of a facility that is permanently located on the ground shall be a monopole; and

 (iv) accessory structures shall be located within 50 feet of

Milestone Communications, the leading developer of wireless towers in partnership with school and government landowners, has been working alongside the school board officials of Anne Arundel County to construct a cell phone tower at the Piney Orchard Elementary School in Odenton, MD. This bill is supposed to clarify the existing County Code, which already bans cell towers being built within 200 feet of a school.