Mar 11, 2026 By Jon Andreassi 2 min read

Peters Township council may soon be considering an ordinance that would open up public property in the municipality to the construction of cellphone towers.

According to Township Manager Paul Lauer, cellphone coverage is spotty in certain parts of Peters.

“One of the problems in Peters Township, there is inadequate cellphone coverage in a number of the neighborhoods. People literally have to go outside their house to use their cellphones,” Lauer said.

He added that current rules for cellphone tower construction are “restrictive,” as they can only be built in areas zoned as industrial.

At Monday’s meeting, council members discussed the possibility of an ordinance that would introduce an overlay district that would allow the towers to be built on township property.

“We were just trying to get direction from council if conceptually they would approve of this, and what kinds of limitations they would like,” Lauer said.

According to Lauer, council would like to limit cellphone towers to 200 feet, and to make sure their construction could only be approved as a conditional use.

“Every application would have to come to council and explain what they’re doing,” Lauer said.

The proposed overlay district would include Peterswood Park, Rolling Hills Park, Venetia Park, Arrowhead Trail at the intersection of Brush Run Road, Peters Township Middle School, Pleasant Valley School, Peters Township High School and Bower Hill School.

“These are large parcels of land which would allow towers to be erected in areas that aren’t up against residential neighborhoods. People are not interested in having these towers located close to their homes,” Lauer said.

There are still several steps before an overlay district would be adopted. Lauer said once an ordinance is drafted, council will consider setting a date for a public hearing.