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Home My WebLink About2.0 BOCC Staff Report 01.17.2000REQUEST: APPLICANT: LOCATION: n t dO aj -/ (turk 3` BOCC 01/17/00 �• PI. PROJECT INFORMATION AND STAFF COMMENTS , 1�L (42 t U , A request for review of a Special se Permit toU allow for placement of a co munications tower. (,-(owC�,et\ke�nnn Cari Russo of Voiceg reamWireless SITE DATA: ACCESS: WATER: SEWER: EXISTING ZONING: 66416 Hwy. 6&24, Bair Ranch, in Glenwood Canyon Lease area is approx. 2,500 square feet Private driveway extending from the I-70 rest area none needed none needed >N,1, 111. A/R/RD tQ.0 �.•t° Fir x ,Q Q i 041 Voicestream is proposing to construct a free-standing communications facility to provide residents with state-of-the-art, fully digital cellular system. The facility would include one twenty-five (25) foot tall, dark, earth -tone monopole with several equipment cabinets at the base of the monopole. The tower will be visible from the I-70 corridor. The proposed lease area is about 2,500 square feet in size and is located within Bair Ranch. The ranch is currently accessed from the I-70 Bair Ranch rest area via a locked gate. The existing access will be extended past an existing ranch house and associated outbuildings to the lease area. I. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSAL H. RELATIONSHIP TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN According to the 1995 Garfield County Comprehensive Plan, this site lies in the Low Density Residential District. Applicable goals and policies of the Comp Plan are as follows: 4.0 Garfield County will encourage the retention and expansion of convenient, viable and compatible commercial development capable of providing a wide variety of goods and services to serve the citizens of the County. i , /cgd- t'D aAA-0-114-gA- pu -c e , (1/2 -L -0:0-61- D 7-6S-- .c9 - beo-r-a 'fit ,().ca tact-cs(JJ tut&S . �A-e QJL (,uk. a-6-0 . O vu--" a.ateu0 v c.2' Nt a'A of Awl- Jew . 0 4.2 Landscaping and screening will be required to address specific visual impacts of industrial and commercial development. 6.0 To ensure that existing agricultural uses are allowed to continue in operation and , compatibility issues are addressed during project review. ,��p e''" ,(VQ The proposed use appears to be c nsistent with the stated commercial and agricultural goals. This is the first of many of these types of applications that the County will be processing in the near future and it is important that the County remain consistent in application of it's standards. Pursuant to policy 4.2, the Board may wish to require the base of the facility be screened with landscaping or ask that the fencing at the base of the facility be made opaque. III. MAJOR ISSUES AND CONCERNS A. Zoning: Section 3.02.03 of the Garfield County Zoning Resolution of 1978, as amended, lists a communications facility as a special use. Special uses must meet the standards set forth in Section 5.03 of the Zoning resolution, which states adequate utilities, street improvements, and access must be provided. The design of the proposed use must also minimize impact. A communications facility is defined as "a non -inhabitable structure supporting antennas and microwave dishes that sends and/or receives radio frequency signals, including television and date impulses through space by means of electromagnetic waves. Communication facilities include structures or towers, and accessory building, not including individual/personal direct -to- home satellite services". The facility must be approved by the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration, where appropriate. Section 5.03.13 states: 1. All facilities shall comply with the radio frequency emission requirements of the Federal Communications Commission and any facility in compliance cannot be denied. 2. The co -location of telecommunication facilities on one site is encouraged and the denial of a landowner/lessor of the co -location of a site shall be based on technical reasons, not on competitive interests. It is the County's policy to minimize the number of communication facilities by the encouragement of co -locating such facilities. ,7r,Ar ",Moi0.'•.44-. a baG , `''' .i�Jt m�� . w kr� ti r';(.(•i ;; !.'- ,:}c:3.c inA0-11(,r(, The applicant has stated that "there are no co -location opportunities". The applicant needs to' support this statement more fully. It is not clear from the application why the facility can not be �i,� ' made co -locatable. t 1-veixtJa,,;, A ..'I)'4Q.,. rt.t.t,. 4.4 J d.9 : t�_ocex:. R:� B. Utilities: Water and sanitation are not expected needs and are not proposed. C. Access: Access to the ranch is from the I-70 Bair Ranch rest area through a locked gate. A driveway extends across the Colorado river to the ranch house and existing outbuildings. A 2of4'q primitive road will be extended beyond the outbuildings to the lease area. D. Design / Impact: The facility would include one twenty-five (25) foot dark, earth -tone monopole (wood laminated) and several small equipment cabinets at the base of the monopole, surrounded by a 6' chain link fence. The lease area is located east of the ranch operations, on the edge of the property, and will be located at the midpoint of the slope so that there will be no "ridge -lining" effect. Screening of the base area would help minimize visual impacts to Glenwood Canyon. If the Board finds that screening is unnecessary, at a minimum, a finding needs to be made "that in this particular situation, given the location and backdrop, the visual impact is adequately mitigated". (, IV. SUGGESTED FINDINGS 1. That proper public notice was provided as required for the hearing before the Board of County Commissioners. 2. That the hearing before the Board of County Commissioners was extensive and complete, that all pertinent facts, matters and issues were submitted and that all interested parties were heard at that meeting. 3. That for the above stated and other reasons, the proposed special use permit is in the best interest of the health, safety, morals, convenience, order, prosperity and welfare of the citizens of Garfield County. 4. That the application is in conformance with the Garfield County Zoning Resolution of 1978, as amended. V. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends APPROVAL, with the following conditions: 1. That all representations of the applicant, either within the application or stated at the hearing before the Board of County Commissioners, shall be considered conditions of approval. 2. That the applicant meet all requirements of the Garfield County Zoning Resolution of 1978, as amended. 3. That the facility shall be approved by the Federal Communications Commission and comply with industry standards. Page 3 ofq 4. That the base of the facility ( a height of 6') be screened with landscaping vegetation sufficient to obscure the equipment and base of the monopole in order to reduce visual impact. 5 Once the equipment becomes obsolete, the facility and all associated equipment shall be completely removed at the owner's expense. wir i1 - pat be. Vigliedi '0( v D}U1-1 ' '''') °ILI 0,4,1-C°j1)Pluj:kli 7 ti' 4 414 LP 0)11V1/41°j1Page 4 ofd