Communication Towers

Rock Island County has not adopted any specific regulations related to communication towers, we just follow Illinois Statutes, specifically 55 ILCS 5/5-1200.1 related to citing, height, location, etc. Construction and modifications to towers falls to our adopted building codes. 

ZONING - There are no public hearings required for modifications to existing or new towers. We review the application internally to verify it meets the statutory requirements. The Statute address height, setbacks, lot size, etc. All zoning or platting questions should be directed to Kelly Humphrey.

BUILDING PERMITS - Building permits may be submitted to either Jorge Cruz, who handles permits South of the Rock River, or Bill Latting who handles the permits North of the Rock River.  Typical permits we see are for adding a generator, updating antennas, etc; These do not require zoning review and are just processed as a building permit.  Plans may be submitted via email or by mail. Contractors must be registered to work in the County. View our Building Permits page for more details. 

FEES - We have different fees for new towers, co-locates, modifications to existing towers and plat review fees. 

• New Towers - Fee is calculated at $20.00 per foot of tower height. 
• Co-locates - $1,200.00 fee (includes structural, electrical & gas).
• Modifications - This is based on the contracted bid price, then use this fee schedule.
• Plat Review - This can be more complex, but typically the review fee for a plat of survey is $60 for one lot. If a subdivision plat is required, typically a  one lot subdivision is $210.

ADDRESSES - The Rock Island County Geographic Information System (GIS) Department assigns all addresses within unincorporated areas. The Department will need a site layout showing property boundaries, where your driveway lies in relation to the main road. All questions should be directed to Kenneth Kremer.