The Planning Commission recommended denial by a vote of 6-0 on March 1, 2017. Please see Additional Info for more detail.   

The Cable Television and Telecommunications Committee reviewed the application on February 9, 2017 and recommended approval with the condition that the proposed tower be lit. 

Planning Staff recommends that the Board adopt the attached Resolution of Approval including recommended conditions. 

The Board of Supervisors closed this public hearing on May 9th and continued the case until May 23rd with a vote of 7-0.  The applicant requests a special use permit to place a 150-foot tall monopole communication tower with a 10-foot lightning rod (160 feet total height) within a 2,520 sq. ft., fenced equipment area on the 1.4 acre parcel, which is setback approximately 560 feet south of Plank Road. at an unaddressed property within the Central Crescent Subdivision. The property is located approximately 400 feet south and behind Loanmax Title Loans, which is located at 3914 Plank Rd.  Approximately 250 feet further south is the neighborhood of Maple Grove.  The property is currently improved with a disused parking lot, zoned Commercial 2 (C-2) and has a Future Land Use designation of Commercial per the Comprehensive Plan. Tax map parcel 23-22-2.

The applicant has submitted additional documents which are located at the top of the Attachments labeled NEW. The items include:

-Supplemental Memo from Applicant to Board;

-Updated Photosimulations depicting the proposed tower at 120' vs 150' high; and

-Supplemental Propagation maps.

Staff requested input from the County's consultant Atlantic Technology Consulting (ATC) on these revised materials.  ATC provided the attached Updated County Consultant Report, which finds that pushing the tower 50' to the north and lowering the tower to 120' may reduce the coverage by up to 15% but the tower will continue to function as a handoff site for the Chancellor and Central Park towers. A reduction in the tower's height from 150' to 120' will still allow space for two co-locators, but it is unknown whether the lower available slots at 105' and 90' will meet the needs of other providers. Staff requested the attendance of County telecommunication consultant should the Board have questions however, due to an existing obligation, his attendance will not be possible on May 23rd.

Planning staff notes that the applicant has historically opposed the relocation of the tower because the owner of the subject property intends to develop it further, which the snug SW siting accomplishes because of the fall zone being within a corner of the parcel.  

The applicant's representative has agreed to extend the shot clock deadline to June 9, 2017, but this extension will not accommodate another continuance from the May 23rd to the next regular Board meeting on June 15th. 

The Planning Commission noted the following prior to recommending denial: 

-concerns regarding whether or not the tower was actually needed for coverage or capacity needs;

-concerns regarding whether existing county facilities could be used in lieu of a new tower (including the Cherry Road Water Tank, or further improvements to T-Mobile equipment at the Chancellor Convenience Center);

-whether a new tower could instead be built on county property instead (including Fire Station 6 or the Salem Elementary School);

-concern over a discrepancy in the application regarding the structural capacity of the Chancellor Convenience Center tower;

-concern over an error with the propagation map scaling and lack of a ‘no build’ scenario.

The Planning Commission was also provided a petition from an opposing neighbor which included approximately 120 signatures. Staff estimates approximately half of those signatures are from residents within the immediate Maple Grove area based on comparing the signees' addresses with street names in Maple Grove.  Three residents also spoke to oppose the case noting that the tower would be a visual blight and may have a negative impact on their property/resale values.  

The applicant submitted four additional materials after the Planning Commission's recommendation of denial in order to address the Planning Commission's concerns. The materials are included within this agenda packet and are identified as Supplemental or Revised. 

Due to space constraints the NEPA Summary, Cultural Resources Summary, TOWAIR Report, Fall Zone Certification, and original ATC Report are not attached. Please refer to May 9, 2017 Agenda Item to review these documents.