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GARLAND PLANNING REPORT
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Agenda Item 25.d. |
City Council Regular Session Agenda |
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REQUEST |
Approval of a Specific Use Provision amendment for Antenna, Commercial on a property zoned Community Retail (CR) District. Approval of a Plan for an Antenna, Commercial Use. LOCATION 3162 Saturn Road |
OWNER |
Delta Investors, LP |
PLAN COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION |
On August 8, 2022 the Plan Commission, by a vote of eight (8) to zero (0), recommended approval of a Specific Use Provision amendment for Antenna, Commercial on a property zoned Community Retail (CR) District. In addition, the Plan Commission, by a vote of eight (8) to zero (0), recommended approval of a Plan for an Antenna, Commercial Use. |
STAFF RECOMMENDATION |
Approval of a Specific Use Provision amendment for Antenna, Commercial on a property zoned Community Retail (CR) District. Approval of a Plan for an Antenna, Commercial Use. |
BACKGROUND |
In 2007, City Council approved a Specific Use Provision [S 07-66] to allow a commercial antenna for wireless communications use. The applicant is requesting to modify the existing commercial antenna on the subject property. |
SITE DATA |
The subject site contains approximately 0.1564 acres, with a 523 square feet lease area. The site has no direct street frontage along Saturn Road or Kingsley Road. However, the site can be accessed from Kingsley Road and Winifred Drive through an access easement. |
USE OF PROPERTY UNDER CURRENT ZONING |
The subject site is zoned Community Retail (CR) District. The Community Retail (CR) District is intended to accommodate a variety of retail, service, and business establishments that may or may not be designed in a shopping center configuration. The district may be used as a transition district between lower intensity retail or office uses and more intense uses. A Community Retail (CR) District is generally appropriate along major transportation corridors but is generally not appropriate in proximity to low density residential districts without significant buffering and screening features. An example of allowed use in a Community Retail (CR) District is a retail shopping area that may be large in scale with very limited or no outside storage. Traffic generated by uses in a Community Retail (CR) District must be focused onto the major thoroughfare network. Development in a Community Retail (CR) District may not be designed in a manner that increases traffic through residential areas. The applicant is requesting to make modifications to the existing commercial antenna, which requires an amendment to the Specific Use Provision [S 07-66]. The existing Specific Use Provision does not expire until 2037; however, the applicant requests to extend the Specific Use Provision to an unlimited time period. |
CONSIDERATIONS |
- The applicant proposes to continue the existing Antenna, Commercial Use on the subject property. The applicant requests to modify the design by removing the stealth concealment and relocating the antenna equipment to the top of the structure. The height will not be extended; therefore, the existing tower will not exceed the existing approximate 94’ in height.
- The existing cell tower has an eight (8) foot tall masonry wall to screen the base of the cell tower, and the screening wall is painted to match the existing shopping center building. The tower is located in an access easement behind the building.
- The applicant contends the tower conversion is needed “to facilitate the upgrade to the newest wireless technology and increase coverage. Wireless carriers must continuously upgrade and replace their equipment. The newest antennas will not fit in the stealth canisters. The conversion will also help with ventilation and better airflow around the tower equipment, reducing the possibility of over-heating. This can also lead to safety issues for the tower or possible shutdowns of the equipment. Other options that have been tried in the past are to expand the width of the stealth canisters, but this can tend to look more obtrusive than a well done/clean mount that we are currently looking at for T-Mobile. Overall this should actually improve the site as well as wireless coverage in the area.”
While the applicant is representing T-Mobile at this time, Verizon is an additional carrier and would continue to collocate their antennas on the tower. The GDC requires towers over 50’ in height to accommodate antennae for at least two (2) carriers in order to encourage collocation.
- While the SUP does not expire until 2037, the applicant requests an unlimited Specific Use Provision time period with this SUP amendment. The GDC does not require SUP renewals for non-residentially-zoned cell towers upon expiration so long as it is not increasing in height or size.
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COMPREHENSIVE PLAN |
The Envision Garland Plan designates the subject property as Neighborhood Centers. Neighborhood centers provide a mix of retail, services and community gathering places. This center should be appropriately scaled to adjacent residential areas. This type of center is predominantly, but not exclusively, non-residential. Neighborhood centers are served by local roads and transit routes. The proposal represents a supportive use in that it will expand the capacity of cellular service to the area. |
COMPATIBILITY OF REQUEST WITH SURROUNDING ZONING AND LAND USES |
The property to the south is zoned Community Retail (CR) District and is developed with a post office. The property to the north is zoned Single-Family-7 (SF-7) District and is developed with a single-family residential neighborhood. The property to the east is zoned Multi-Family (MF) District and is developed with an apartment complex. The property immediately to the west is zoned Community Retail (CR) District and is developed with a shopping center and pads sites with various commercial uses. |
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