FCC Reports on Meeting With State Interests on Twilight Towers Proposal

towers, approved by commissioners in December (see 1712140049). Action on the towers potentially will open thousands of existing towers for collocations “without the need for either the collocation or the underlying tower to complete an individual historic review, thus ensuring that these towers are generally treated the same as older towers,” the FCC said then (see 1712150038). One participant requested a summary of how FCC staff considered concerns by tribal historic preservation officers and SHPOs, said the filing posted Tuesday in docket 17-79. “Staff explained that the Commission considered whether Twilight Towers should be subject to a review process and determined, subject to further consideration in light of the record, that the balance of interests weighed in favor of a Program Comment that did not require such review,” the FCC said. Another state representatives asked what would happen when properties of historic significance may have been disturbed at the time of construction. “Staff noted that there is a presumption in the draft Program Comment that current collocations will have no effect on historic properties and that if there are circumstances where there are ongoing concerns re specific sites, they can be addressed with the Commission on a case-by-case basis,” the agency said.