As the major telecom companies continue their rapid expansion throughout the United States, they are picking up the payload in order to make the cell tower permitting process move more efficiently. In King County, Washington, cell phone companies have been negotiating with the municipalities to help with the cost of paying staff to process cell tower permits, which are needed for any new cell tower and even any modification to existing cell towers. According to the King County Department of Permitting and Environmental Review, “More than 100 permit applications were filed with King County last year for cell tower modifications, and roughly 60 have been processed in 2013. In speaking with the industry, they’ve told us we could expect double or triple that in the coming year.”
This network expansion will affect landowners who will be approached for new tower placement, as well as those with existing towers who will receive modifications to their tower equipment. Vertical Consultants can work to negotiate terms that establish rights that are beneficial to the landowner, while limiting the obligations that same party may have under that same agreement, or more to the point get the most and give up the least. A property owner’s first step will need to be to establish “True Value” of its site and go from there.
(http://www.king5.com/news/local/Cell-companies-negotiating-to-pay-for-King-Co-staff-224803682.html)
