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ITEM 7 |
City Council Memorandum Development Services Memo No. 22-052
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Date: |
March 23, 2023 |
To: |
Mayor and Council |
Thru: |
Joshua H. Wright, City Manager Andy Bass, Deputy City Manager Micah Miranda, Acting Development Services Director |
From: |
Benjamin Cereceres, Planner |
Subject: |
PLH22-0005 Crown Castle Wireless |
Request: |
Use Permit approval to install a wireless communication facility |
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Location: |
2055 S. Stearman Drive at the southeast corner of Germann Road and Stearman Drive |
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Applicant: |
Declan Murphy; VoloGroup |
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Proposed Motion: |
Move City Council approve Use Permit, PLH22-0005 Crown Castle Wireless, subject to the conditions recommended by Planning and Zoning Commission. |
Background Data: |
- Planned Area Development (PAD) for Business Park
- Zoning Code requires a Use Permit for a wireless facility that is not co-located on an existing pole and which creates a new pole holding a wireless facility.
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Surrounding Land Use Data: |
North |
Across Germann Road: PAD for commercial |
South |
Charter school |
East |
PAD for commercial |
West |
Across Stearman Drive: PAD for office and light industrial |
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Proposed Development: |
Type of Tower |
Broadleaf |
Total height to top of Broadleaf Tree |
60' |
Height at Center of T-Mobile Antenna |
56' |
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Review and Recommendation: |
This Use Permit request is to establish a broadleaf tree wireless telecommunication facility. During review, Planning staff worked with the applicant to address several concerns, including the proposed height of the facility and aesthetic features that are visually unobtrusive and natural looking. The project was discussed by the Design Review Committee at its meeting on December 7, 2022. The Design Review Committee provided guidance for the applicant to address the concerns by reducing the original height of 80 feet and by creating a more natural tree with larger branches and leaf colors to tie back to the desert landscape. Historically, the City of Chandler has approved wireless telecommunication facilities that are a maximum height 65 feet. The applicant is now asking for a facility height of 60 feet to conform to this practice. Federal law allows existing facilities to increase 20 feet in height, with the additional height request being processed administratively, if desired in the future. The applicant has indicated that it will be submitting an Administrative Design Review application to request the additional 20 feet if approved for a Use Permit for 60 feet. Thus, the final height constructed is anticipated to be 80 feet. The design has been modified to provide a more natural tree that ties back into the desert vegetation. The color of the leaves of the facility in the attached photo simulations appears to be significantly darker than the surrounding low water trees. For this reason, staff is proposing a stipulation that requires the color of the leaves to closely match the surrounding trees. A wireless telecommunication facility is not permitted by right and must receive Use Permit approval in order to have wireless communication facility on the property that is not colocated on an existing pole. Staff has reviewed the request and finds it to be consistent with the General Plan and Zoning Code. |
Public / Neighborhood Notification |
- The request was noticed in accordance with the requirements of the Chandler Zoning Code.
- A neighborhood notice was mailed out and posted on social media via NextDoor.
- No neighborhood meeting was held since no residents live within the notification area.
- As of the writing of this memo, Planning staff is not aware of any opposition to the request.
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Planning and Zoning Commission Vote Report |
Planning and Zoning Commission meeting March 1, 2023. Motion to Approve. In Favor: 6 Opposed: 0 Absent: 1 (Morgan) |
Recommended Conditions of Approval |
Planning staff finds the request is in compliance with the General Plan and the existing zoning. Planning and Zoning Commission recommends City Council approve the Use Permit, subject to the following conditions: 1. Expansion of the wireless facility or modifications of the use beyond approved exhibits shall void the Use Permit and require a new Use Permit application and approval, except that any application for modification as an "eligible facilities request" under Section 6409(a) of the Spectrum Act of 2012 shall not require a new Use Permit application. 2. Use Permit does not constitute Final Development Plan approval. Compliance with the details required by all applicable codes and conditions of the City of Chandler and this Use Permit shall apply. 3. The facility pole that resembles a tree trunk shall use materials and color that mimic tree bark. 4. The color of the leaves on the facility shall closely resemble the color of the leaves of the existing trees on the subject site. |
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