A cellular communications company has been give the green light to erect a 180-foot cell tower in Lower Towamensing Township.

The township's Zoning Hearing Board on a 2-0 vote Tuesday granted a special exception to New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC, AT&T Mobility, to build the tower.Zoners Keith George and James DeRosa voted in favor of the variance. Board Chairman James Ord was absent.In addition, the zoners granted the company a variance for color requirements for communication towers in order to minimize visual impact, according to township zoning officer Duane Dellecker.However, the zoners denied the company's request for a variance that requires evergreen planting around the site, Dellecker said.The tower will be placed 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.There was no public opposition to the plan, said Dellecker.The proposal had previously been denied by Dellecker, who, in his rejection letter dated March 16, said a section of the zoning ordinance allows such activity only as a special exception action in accordance with specific regulations.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.Dellecker also said at that time that several issues addressed in the supplemental statement did not appear on the plans submitted.