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HomeMy WebLinkAboutZ-5115-C Staff AnalysisNovember 14, 2002 ITEM NO.: 14 FILE NO.: Z -5115-B NAME: T -Mobile Tower Use Permit LOCATION: 112091-30 OWNERIAPPLICANT: Reeves/Site Excell PROPOSAL: A tower use permit is requested to allow for the addition of 15 feet to the height of this existing, 150 - foot tall monopole tower to accommodate an additional wireless carrier. The property is zoned 1-2. ORDINANCE DESIGN STANDARDS: SITE LOCATION: The property is located on the south side of 1-30, east of its intersection with 1-430. 2. COMPATIBILITY WITH NEIGHBORHOOD: Industrial uses are adjacent to the east and west of the site. 1-30 is adjacent to the north. Beyond the industrial site and an area of dense vegetation, single family homes are located to the south. Allowing the existing tower to be raised by 15 feet will not affect this WCF's compatibility with the neighborhood. All owners of property located within 200 feet of the site, all residents within 300 feet who could be identified and the Pinedale and SWLRUP Neighborhood Associations were notified of this request. 3. ON SITE DRIVES AND PARKING: A 15' ingress/egress easement provides access to the WCF lease site through the parent tract from the 1-30 Frontage Road. Adequate parking is available on the site to accommodate any technician servicing the WCF. 4. SCREENING AND BUFFERS: Landscape and screening requirements are those standards contained within the Zoning WCF Ordinance. November 14, 2002 ITEM NO.: 14 Cont. FILE NO.: Z -5115-B 5. PUBLIC WORKS COMMENTS: No Comments. 6. UTILITY, FIRE DEPT, AND CATA COMMENTS: Wastewater: Sewer main extension required with easements if service is required for project. Entergy: No Comments received. Reliant: No Comments received. Southwestern Bell: No Comments received. Water: No objection. Fire Department: Approved as submitted. County Planning: No Comments received. CATA: No Comments received. SUBDIVISION COMMITTEE COMMENT: (OCTOBER 24, 2002) Chris Villines was present representing the application. Staff presented the item and noted that a variance would be needed to allow the height of the tower to be increased from 150 feet to 165 feet. Staff voiced support for a complete waiver of landscaping and screening on the south, east and west perimeter but suggested that the full requirement should be imposed on the north (street) side. Mr. Villines stated he agreed with staff's recommendation. There were no further staff comments. The Committee determined there were no other issues and forwarded the item to the full Commission. STAFF ANALYSIS: The Wireless Communication Facility (WCF) located at 11209 1-30 consists of.a 150 -foot tall monopole tower and an equipment cabinet within a 48' X 34' lease area. The lease area is enclosed by a 6 -foot tall chain-link fence topped with barbed wire. The lease area is located between two buildings on the 1-2 zoned, 2 November 14, 2002 TEM NO.: 14 (Cont.) FILE NO.: Z -5115-B Reeves Fastners property. The lease area is screened on the east and west sides by existing buildings and on the south side by dense vegetation. The site is visible from the 1-30 Frontage Road. The site was approved through a Tower Use Permit by the Planning Commission on September 3, 1998. One condition of that 1998 Tower Use Permit was"that the site be designed to accommodate at least one additional wireless carrier. T -Mobile proposes to collocate on the WCF site. T -Mobile will sub -lease a 15'X 15' portion of the overall lease area. An equipment cabinet will be placed in the lease area and antennae will be placed on the monopole tower. Existing antennae are at the 150 -foot level on the tower. In order to provide the required coverage, T -Mobile cannot place its antennae any lower on the tower. Consequently, this proposal includes adding a 15 -foot extension on top of the tower. T -Mobile's antennae will be placed at the 165 -foot level. Staff is supportive of a variance to allow the tower to exceed the allowable height of 150 feet. This will accommodate the collocation and reduce the need for an additional tower in this area. Since the WCF is located within an industrially zoned and developed property and is screened on three sides by existing buildings and dense vegetation, T -Mobile is requesting a deferral of the WCF Landscape and Screening requirements on 3 of the 4 perimeters of the WCF lease area. This site has not previously been brought into compliance with the provisions of the 1999 WCF Landscape and Screening Ordinance, nor has a deferral been previously granted. Staff is supportive of the requested deferral of the required landscaping and screening on the east and west perimeters where the WCF site is adjacent to buildings and on the south side where an area of dense vegetation provides adequate screening. In response to staff's request, the applicant has agreed to install the required 8 -foot tall wood screening fence and landscape materials on the north perimeter of the WCF where it is visible from 1-30. Due to the nature and location of this site, it is reasonable not to require landscaping and screening on all 4 perimeters. Staff supports a deferral of the landscaping and screening on the south, east and west perimeters of the WCF site until such time as a "major change in circumstance" as defined in Section. 36-593(c)(6) of the code. Section 36-593(c)(6) states a "major change in circumstance" means that: (1) the area within 200 feet of the boundaries of the WCF tower site has developed to the point that there is a virtually unobstructed view of the tower site from any adjoining occupiable residential structure or from public property or right- of-way, and 3 November 14, 2002 ITEM NO.: 14(Cont.)FILE NO.: Z -5115-B (2) the City has received a complaint from the owner of an occupiable structure located within 204 feet of the tower site that the site has insufficient landscaping or screening in place; and (3) the City has requested that the parties resolve the issue by agreeing to certain screening or landscaping requirements consistent with LRC § 36-593 which can be granted administratively by the Director of Planning and Development, but no agreement has been reached, or sufficient additional space around the site has been acquired to meet the landscaping, setback and screening requirements of LRC § 36-593. STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff recommends approval of the tower use permit. Staff recommends approval of a height variance to allow the monopole tower to be increased to 165 feet in height. Staff recommends approval of a deferral of the Landscape and Screening requirements on the south, east and west perimeters of the WCF lease site until such time as a "major change in circumstance" as defined in Section 36-593(c)(6) of the code. PLANNING COMMISSION ACTION: (NOVEMBER 14, 2002) The applicant was present. There were no objectors present. Staff informed the Commission that the applicant had amended the application by agreeing to install the required screening fence on the south and west perimeters in addition to installing the required screening fence and landscaping on the north perimeter. The amendment was offered in response to a concern that had been raised in a letter submitted by SWLR United for Progress. Staff recommended approval of the T.U.P. and of a height variance to allow the tower height to be raised to 165 feet. Staff recommended approval of a deferral of the landscape and screening requirement on the east perimeter and of the landscape requirement on the west and south perimeters until such time as a "major change in circumstance" as defined in Section 36-593(c)(6) of the Code. The item was placed on the Consent Agenda and approved as recommended by staff. The vote was 10 ayes, 0 noes and 1 absent. 0