The Florida Department of Transportation has executed a 30-year lease agreement with Lodestar Towers, Inc. on March 25, 1999, that allows Lodestar Towers, Inc. to lease access to the Department’s limited access rights-of-way in return for compensation formulated as a percentage of the gross revenues received from renting antenna space to commercial wireless service providers.

The public private lease agreement was developed in accordance with the Department’s Telecommunications Policy, Topic No. 000-625-025-c. The goal of the policy is to consolidate wireless tower use to the Department’s limited access rights-of-way by providing equal access and opportunity to all wireless service providers. This strategy encourages wireless service providers to collocate on towers located on the Department’s limited access rights-of-way instead of developing numerous new tower sites in local communities. The resulting reduction of the number of towers and the location of needed towers as far from residential areas as possible facilitates the intent of the lease to support the wireless service providers while minimizing wireless tower proliferation.

To date, Lodestar Towers, Inc. has constructed 26 towers on the Department’s rights-of-way. Another 22 proposed towers are under siting and design review by the Department.

Please contact Gene Glotzbach at (850) 410-5616 or gene.glotzbach@dot.state. fl.us for additional information.