Public Safety May Find a Home on AT&T Tower in Georgia

March 25, 2013

With tight government budgets and increasingly difficult zoning environments, the likelihood of wireless carriers and public safety system sharing towers is growing.

The City of Milton, Ga., is looking for a new tower for its public safety radio system. Currently, it uses the Fulton County, Ga., radio system, but it has reached the end of its life expectancy and both the county and city are pursuing their own radio systems.

Looking for a location on which to build its tower, it found an existing tower on Batesville Road, which needs work.

Meanwhile, AT&T had proposed a tower at a soccer complex that abutted two neighborhoods, which drew active community opposition. After talks with the city and with residents, AT&T pulled the application from the soccer field to consider deploying at the Batesville site and invited the city to collocate at that site.

“If that happens the city could potentially collocate on the Batesville tower, saving us from building our own tower,” Jason Wright, communications manager, City of Milton, told AGL. “AT&T has been working with the city. Certainly, they are being a good partner with the city to consider the city’s request.

“At the City of Milton, we really try to chart a middle path, respecting both the rights of both the property owners and the local business owners’ interests. We try to find a good compromise,” he added.

With this compromise, the city’s communications interests may also be served.