A 198-foot cell phone tower has gained approval for construction through a conditional use permit near 37 Jenkins Ridge Road in Cumberland County.

During its Oct. 11 meeting, the Cumberland County Board of Supervisors unanimously approved the permit, along with six conditions for what county officials refer to as the North Whiteville tower. The original permit for the tower expired last year “due to inactivity,” according to county documents.

National Communication Towers (NCT) LLC is set to construct the tower on property owned by Douglas and Priscilla Martin. NCT will lease the property for the tower from the Martins, according to county documents.

According to those same documents, structures on the proposed lease area would include the tower, unmanned support buildings, equipment pads and 6-foot-tall surrounding security fence. The proposed site is within the county’s A-2 zoning district and would be accessed from a proposed 30-foot easement beginning at an existing unnamed private drive north of Jenkins Ridge Road (Route 697).

The lease area covers .36 acres on an 11.332-acre parcel.

According to Al Doss, NCT’s vice president of development, T-Mobile has shown interest in providing service from the tower.

During discussion about the permit, District Four Supervisor David Meinhard asked about the status of two other approved cell towers on Route 45 that NCT is set to construct, one of which is near Midway Grocery.

Doss said there is no interest from cell carriers on those two towers. He said there was interest at the time permits were requested for the two towers.

The county’s planning commission held a public hearing on Sept. 26 on the North Whiteville tower, recommending unanimous approval of the permit to supervisors.