A cellular communications company wants to erect a 180-foot cell tower in Lower Towamensing Township.

Representatives from New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC, AT&T Mobility, will go before the township's zoning hearing board at 7 o'clock this evening.At that time, the company will be in search of a special exception of the township's zoning ordinance to erect a cellular communications tower on property owned by Caron Associates, LLC, located southeast of Little Gap Road near the intersection of Covered Bridge Road and Lower Smith Gap Road.In addition, the company will also request variances from the zoning ordinance that requires an evergreen planting around the site, as well as color requirements for communication towers in order to minimize visual impact.The proposal has been rejected by township zoning officer Duane Dellecker, who, in his rejection letter dated March 16, listed the reasons why he turned the plan down.Dellecker said the property is situated in a rural zoning district. He said the company plans to erect a 180-foot monopole tower and related equipment structure on the parcel.However, Dellecker said a section of the zoning ordinance allows such activity only as a special exception action in accordance with specific regulations found in a section of the zoning ordinance.As for the planting, Dellecker said another section of the zoning ordinance requires an evergreen planting of at least six feet around the site, whereas the plan submitted does not address that issue.Also, he said a section of the zoning ordinance outlines color requirements for communication towers in order to minimize their visual impact.The plan, as submitted, does not appear to address this issue, Dellecker said.He also said several issues addressed in the supplemental statement do not appear on the plans submitted, which could be of concern to the township engineer as part of the planning review process.In any case, Dellecker said the supplemental statement document should be formally attached to any recorded plan if those plans aren't updated to reflect such information.