More communication towers will be erected without going through the public hearing process if county commissioners approve an ordinance amendment recommended by the Planning Commission.

A change in the county's cell tower ordinance that would allow zoning staff approval of many towers will go to the County Commission during its March 25 meeting, 7 p.m. at the County Administrative Complex.

The proposal, approved last week by the Planning Commission, would allow staff approval of towers up to 180 feet tall on land zoned A-R (agricultural-residential), as long as those towers meet all other requirements and can hold at least four companies' antennas.

Staff also could approve towers up to 250 feet tall along Fayette's major highway corridors under the proposed changes, as long as those towers can hold at least five users.

Under the current ordinance, staff can approve towers up to 150 feet tall.

County commissioners took the extra administrative approval sections out of the tower ordinance when they approved it recently following several months of work by the Planning Commission, but last month reversed themselves and sent the ordinance back to the planners to have the language put back in.

The Planning Commission is sending two other ordinances back to the commission with a recommendation that they not be changed.

A requirement that new businesses pave their parking lots should remain, the planning panel decided.

Owners of M&S Auto Parts, a salvage business on Roberts Road, had asked that the law be changed to allow unpaved parking lots on unpaved roads, but the Planning Commission decided the requirement is important.

"You pave it when you build your building, and you will have it paved when the road is paved," said commission member Al Gilbert.

The group also is recommending no change in rules limiting the size of wall signs for new businesses.

Two rezoning requests also got the Planning Commission's approval and will be heard by the County Commission March 25.

Donald Walloch is asking that the zoning of 10.3 acres on New Hope Road be changed from A-R (agricultural-residential) to R-40 (single family homes of one-acre lots). Plans are to build six home lots on the land.