A hearing to discuss a proposed cell tower in Penn Forest Township is scheduled to take place tonight.

The tower, which is 195 feet with an additional 10-foot lightning rod, is proposed for a property at 586 Stony Mountain Road, near the Hickory Run Forest and Towamensing Trails developments.

The developer of the tower, Scientel Tower Properties, wants to place the tower closer to the nearest neighboring property and home than is allowed under the township zoning ordinance.

Scientel has asked the zoning hearing board to relax that requirement.

They’re also asking for a waiver from the requirement that a property only have one principal use. The property currently has a barn used for grain storage.

The proposed tower is located in the R-2 residential zoning district. A cell tower is a permitted use in all zoning districts in the township. But applicants are required to meet all other requirements of the zoning ordinance, or obtain variances like Scientel is attempting to do.

Scientel is seeking a variance from the setback requirements from the nearest property line and nearest occupied building.

The township zoning ordinance requires that towers be located at least 1.1 times their height away from the nearest property line - or 214 feet for the proposed tower. The nearest property line is 197 feet away.

The ordinance requires that the tower must be located 200 feet plus its height from the nearest occupied building. The nearest building is 355 feet away.

The hearing is scheduled to take place at 7 p.m. today. There is one other application on the agenda for the meeting.

Registration for the livestream of the meeting is available at pennforesttownship.org.