COBB COUNTY - Members of the Cobb County Planning and Zoning Commission on Tuesday heard a proposal for a cell tower in northwest Cobb, firmly stating that unless there is a substantial need for wireless service in an area, there is no need for another tower.

The commission voted 5-0 to give RB Towers, LLC 30 days to perform more research for the proposed tower on the north side of Stilesboro Road, east of Paul Samuel Road. Commission members also wanted to wait and see if the Cobb school board approves a proposed tower at nearby McClure Elementary School. The item will be heard again at the commission's May 4 meeting.

RB Towers builds the structure then leases it out to carriers, President Will Rand said. He said AT&T has shown interest in leasing the tower.

But George Brown, who lives in the nearby Beckford Oaks subdivision, said there are already six cell towers in a two-mile radius from the proposed location, with one being a quarter of a mile away.

"AT&T shows on its own Web site that there is moderate to good coverage in this area," Brown said, showing PowerPoint slides of Web pages showing each carrier's ability to provide service in the area. "This will have a negative impact on nearby residents and there are a number of reasons we live where we do, one being the absence of cell towers."

Commissioners blamed cell phone carriers' online marketing.

"The carriers are their own worst enemies because they say there is good or better service in an area on their Web site, then want a tower there saying there is no service," commission member Bob Hovey said. "We're not obligated to provide good service, but we are obligated to serve a need to get service."

Hovey said he e-mailed SBA Communications, Inc., who owns the two closest towers to the proposed site, and found out that they have space available on their towers for other carriers. However, Rand said the location for AT&T on the towers would not be high enough to provide adequate service. He also said the proposed tower at McClure Elementary, which Hovey said he is on "good report" that the principal will ask the school board for approval on, would not be tall enough, as the company would like to build a 150- to 160-foot tower that would resemble a pine tree.

And although the commission members were appreciative of the steps made in the cell tower industry to make the towers blend in better with the surrounding areas, Brown said it would still be out of place in the location's tree line.

"The surrounding trees are 60 to 80 feet, so even though it resembles a tree, a 150- or 160-foot tree sticking up would be obvious and out of character, and it's still not favorable," said Brown, who also showed a petition with 123 signatures from residents opposed to the tower, as well as a letter from Cobb real estate agent Todd McPherson explaining the harm cell towers can have on property values.

Also Tuesday, the commission unanimously recommended the Board of Commissioners approve the rezoning of a plot of land in Acworth for development of a bank and shopping center with retail stores, offices and restaurants. The item was held from the February and March planning commission meetings. The development is to be built on the southern side of Cedarcrest Road between Acworth Dallas Road and Highway 41.

The commission also voted 5-0 to continue a petition for a residential property's zoning near Indian Hills County Club in east Cobb to be changed to allow for an 80,000-square-foot senior living facility. The facility would include 30 units ranging from 2,000 square feet to 2,500 square feet per unit. The applicant's attorney, John Moore, asked for a continuance to allow for site plan changes.