Sussex County Board of Adjustment recently approved two of three applications for telecommunications towers. The third is pending a hearing and vote.

All three of the special-use exception applications also include applications for variances for the height of the towers, which are restricted to 150 feet by county code.

On March 4, the board approved a variance of 45 feet in the height, allowing a tower of 195 feet on a 90-acre farm at 25754 Cave Neck Road near Milton next to Dogfish Head Brewery. The board approved a special-use exception filed by Tower North Development LLC at its Jan. 28 meeting.

The AT&T tower will have space for three other carriers. Jonathan Jordan, the applicant's spokesman, said the tower will fill coverage gaps for the present and future in Milton and areas east of the town. It will be constructed between two existing AT&T towers two miles apart that service the area.

When asked by the board about using an existing tower, an AT&T spokesman said it's always in AT&T's best interest from a cost and effenciency standpoint to co-locate antennas on existing towers. In this case, the spokesman said, that option would not meet the demand a new higher tower will meet.

Also on March 4, the board approved an application from Janki and Bidyawattie/New Cingular Wireless PCS LLC for a 156-foot tower at 27718 Oneals Road near Seaford with a variance of 6 feet for a lightning rod.

On April 1, the board will hear an application filed by Indian River Fire Co./Tower Co. New Cingular Wireless PCS LLC for a telecommunications tower at 25375 Banks Road near Long Neck. The applicant is also seeking a variance from maximum tower and fence height.