HomeMy WebLinkAbout5.0 BOCC Staff Report 05.21.2001B of CC — May 21st, 2001
PROJECT INFORMATION AND STAFF COMMENTS
REQUEST: Special Use Permit for a
Telecommunication Facility
APPLICANT: SBA Communications, Inc.
LOCATION: Approximately three miles directly west of
Carbondale in the Crystal River Ranch
development. Legal description is, within
the East 'A of the Southwest 1/4 of Section 2,
Township 7 South, and Range 89 West of
Garfield County in the State of Colorado.
SITE DATA: A cellular telephone facility consisting of
two 45 -foot monopoles, a 75' X 75'
enclosed equipment area at the base of the
tower, and concrete pads to support the base
transmitting station equipment of each
tenant
WATER: Unmanned facility.
SEWER: Unmanned facility.
EXISTING ZONING: A/R/RD
ADJACENT ZONING: A/R/RD
RELATIONSHIP TO THE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN
This proposal is located in Study Area I of the Comprehensive Plan. This part of
Garfield County is considered a Visual Corridor. The applicant is requesting permission
to develop a telecommunication facility on a ridgeline thus creating a skyline silhouette.
II. INTRODUCTION / DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSAL
SBA Communications has approached the planning department for permission to
construct two 45 -foot monopoles near Cattle Creek on the Crystal River Ranch. It is their
intent of the applicant to co -locate as many as five separate carriers on this facility. This
site was chosen because it offers a commanding and reasonably obstruction -less view of
the Hwy 82 corridor.
The proposal will consist have two, 45 -foot monopoles and a base area large enough to
enclose five equipment cabinets. One of the monopoles will have 3, three -sector panel
antennas mounted on it. The second monopole will have 2 three -panel antennas and a
microwave dish. At the base of the tower and surrounded by a six foot mesh -screen
fence will be a 75' by 75' area to house the towers and support facilities. Support
facilities being a base transmitting station (BTS), radio -receiving equipment set on
concrete pads (blueprints and narrative are attached). Access to this unmanned site will
be from a jeep trail that starts at CR 108, approximately four miles to the south. Initially
there will be construction activity on this site mostly consisting of medium duty trucks
and possibly a heavy crane truck, after construction site activity is generally limited to
five maintenance visits a month.
• •
III. GARFIELD COUNTY ZONING RESOLUTION
There are two section of the Zoning Code that this proposal must be weighed against
before the recommendation of approval or denial can be made. Section 5.03, number 3 of
the Garfield County Zoning Resolution dealing with Conditional and Special Uses states:
Design of the use is organized to minimize impacts on and from adjacent uses of land
through installation of screen fences or landscape materials on the periphery of the lot
and by location of intensively utilized areas, access points, lighting and signs in such a
manner as to protect established neighborhood character.
In their original submittal SBA requested and received permission to build two similar
towers near this proposal. The original towers were located below the crest of the hill
thus preventing a skyline silhouette. Now the applicant is proposing to build these same
towers at the crest of the hill, greatly modifying that request. While the applicant is
trying to minimize their towers from becoming a visual nuisance: the monopoles will be
unlighted; all equipment will be painted to match background vegetation and soils and in
order to prevent extensive and unnecessary trenching the applicant has decided to use a
microwave dish to collect the required telephone service. Still, it cannot be overlooked
that the applicant is requesting permission to develop a facility that creates an unwanted
skyline silhouette.
Further in the same Section, 5.03.13 Broadcasting Studio and/or Communication Facility:
Such broadcasting studios and/or communication facilities shall be approved by the
Federal Communication Commission (FCC) and the Federal Aviation Administration
(FAA), where appropriate (A84-78; 97-60). In addition, the following standards will be
used in the review application for a communication facility:
1. All facilities shall comply with frequency emission requirements of the FCC
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 competitive interests. It is the County's
policy to minimize the number of communication facilities by the
encouragement of co -locating such facilities.
3. A freestanding telecommunication facility, including antennas, shall not
exceed the maximum structure height in the applicable zone district unless
an exception is approved by the Board based on the applicant
demonstrating the following:
(a) Use of existing land forms, vegetation and structures to aid in
screening the facility from view or blending in with the
surrounding built natural environment
(b) Design, material and colors of antenna and their support
structures shall be compatible with the surrounding environment,
and monopole support structures shall taper from the base to the
tip.
(c) It is consistent with existing communication facilities on the same
site.
SBA gets its right to operate this facility from the Federal Communication Commission
(FCC), which assigns frequencies and sets emission standards. Unchecked, uncorrected
frequency or emission violation can result in suspension or revocation of their operating
license. Because this facility will be above the crest of a hill it will create the skyline
silhouette this section of the Zoning Code is trying to prevent. There is no other usable
cellular tower in this area that the applicant can co -locate on. Item'c" is not applicable
to this review.
IV. REFERRAL AGENCY COMMENTS
The following agencies normally are allowed the chance to comment on this type of
development, this is even more import when a telecommunication tower goes above the
crest of a hill in the proximity of an airport. However, when the applicant re-applied for
this site and the photo -simulations showed the towers to be on the crest of the hill there
was not enough time to send this application out for referral.
1. Pitkin County Airport, Sardy Field, Ray Crebbs
2. Glenwood Springs Airport, Jessica McMillan
3. Garfield County Airport, Kenneth Maenpa
4. Carbondale Planning Department, Mark Chain
FCC assigned frequencies to these airport facilities that range from 118.85 MHz to 123.8
MHz. The assigned frequency for the applicant is between 1.6 GHz and 2.1 GHz,
because of this the chance of cross talk or interference is highly unlikely. (Glenwood
Springs and the Rifle airport use 122.8 MHz; Pitkin County uses 118.85, 120.4, 121.9
and 123.8 MHz, respectively.)
/4.1
V. SUGGESTED FINDINGS:
In the original application submitted by SBA, the Garfield County Zoning Resolution
�� was closely adhered to. However, in this submittal SBA is trying to develop their site
vi contrary to Section 5.05.03 and thus creating an intrusive tower. Staff should have
t. --.received this modified request earlier so that referral agencies would have had a chance to
comment. In the past, staff has always recommended denial of any telecommunication
j J facility that creates a skyline silhouette.
/ VI. RECOMMENDATION
Staff recommends that the Board of County Commissioners Deny this proposal based on
the above -referenced Suggested Findings.
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3.02 A/R/RD -- AGRICULTURAL/RESIDENTIAL/RURAL DENSITY
3.02.01 Uses, by right: Agricultural including farms, garden, greenhouse, nursery, orchard, ranch, small
animal farm for production of poultry, fish, fur-beanng or other small animals and customary
accessory uses including buildings for shelter or enclosure of persons, animals or property
employed in any of the above uses, retail establishment for sale of goods processed from raw
materials produced on the lot;
Guiding and outfitting, and park;
Single-family dwelling and customary accessory uses. (A. 86-09)
Accessory dwelling unit approved as a part of a public hearing or meeting on a subdivision
or subdivision exemption or guesthouse special use approved after 7/95 and meeting the
standards in Section 5.03.02.
3.02.02 Uses, conditional: Aircraft landing strip, church, community buildings, day nursery and school;
group home for the elderly. (A. 97-60)
Boarding or rooming houses, studio for conduct of arts and crafts, home occupation, water
impoundments. (A. 86-09;87-108)
3.02.03 Uses, special: Airport utility, feedlot as principal use of the lot, crematorium, agriculture -
related business, resorts, kennel, riding stable, and veterinary clinic, shooting range
facility(A . 98-108);
Two-family dwelling, camper park, ski lift and trails; broadcasting studio, communication
facility, corrections facility, storage, storage of heavy equipment, golf course driving range,
golf practice
lpractice range and accessory facilities, commercial recreation facility/park;(A. 97-60; 97-
112)
Public gatherings; storage of oil and gas drilling equipment; Site for extraction, processing,
storage or material handling of natural resources; 'mlity lines, utility substations; recreational
support facilities and guest house. (A. 79-132; 80-64; 80-180; 80-313, 81-145; 81-263; 84-
78; 86-9; 86-84; 86-106; 87-73; 99-025)
Accessory dwelling unit meeting the standards in Section 5.03.02 for any lot not created after
a public hearing or meeting after 7/95.
Kennel
3.02.04 Minimum Lot Area: Two (2) acres.
3.02.05 Maximum Lot Coverage: Fifteen percent (15%).
3.02.06 Minimum Setback:
(1) Front yard: (a) arterial streets: seventy-five (75) feet from street centerline or fifty (50)
feet from front lot line, whichever is greater; (b) local streets: fifty (50) feet from street
centerline or twenty-five (25) feet from front lot line, whichever is greater;
(2) Rear yard: Twenty-five (25) feet from rear lot line;
(3) Side yard: Ten (10) feet from side lot line, or one-half (1/2) the height of the principal
building, whichever is greater.
3.02.07 Maximum Height of Buildings: Twenty-five (25) feet.
3.02.08 Additional Requirements: All uses shall be subject to the provisions under Section 5
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