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HomeMy WebLinkAbout4.0 BOCC Staff Report 09.05.2000B of CC — September 5th, 2000 PROJECT INFORMATION AND STAFF COMMENTS REQUEST: Special Use Permit for a Telecommunication Facility APPLICANT: SBA Communications, Inc. LOCATION: Approximately three miles directly east of Carbondale in the Crystal River Ranch development. Legal description is, within the East 'h 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 L 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. However the applicant is trying to develop this site to minimize visual impacts to the surrounding area. 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 while being able to blend into the background. 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. SBA Communications has been very thorough in their investigation of Garfield County Zoning Regulations and developing their proposal to conform to those regulations. The applicant is proposing to set the monopoles below the crest of the hill preventing a silhouette -effect. Per Garfield County Zoning Regulations, the proposed monopoles will taper from the base to the tip. The applicant is also taking the following steps to prevent their facility from becoming a visual nuisance: the monopoles will be unlighted; all equipment will be painted to match background vegetation and soils. In order to prevent extensive and unnecessary trenching to the jeep trail that accesses this site the applicant has decided to use a microwave dish to collect the required telephone service. 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 below the crest of the hill it will not effect the navigable airspace of any airport in this area. All airport facilities in and around Garfield County have been contacted for their concerns and comments on this development. 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 have been contacted for their concerns and comments: 1. Pitkin County Airport, Sardy Field, Ray Crebbs • 2. Glenwood Springs Airport, Jessica McMillan (Had No Comment, 7/18) 3. Garfield County Airport, Kenneth Maenpa (Had No Comment, 7/18) 4. Carbondale Planning Department, Mark Chain FCC assigned frequencies for these airport facilities 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.) V. SUGGESTED FINDINGS: 1. The applicant has complied with the public noticing and certified return - receipt mailing requirements. 2. The twenty -foot height variance requested by the applicant will not have an adverse effect on the surrounding area. 3. The applicant has made every effort to development this site in conformance with the requirements set forth in the Garfield County Zoning Resolution. VI. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Board of County Commissioners Approve this proposal based on the recommendations of the Planning Commission, the above findings and conditions listed below. Conditions of Approval: • The applicant will allow future co -locations. • This facility will be painted to blend in with the background, approved by the planning department. • If the tower becomes dormant for more than six months either the tower owner or the landowner is required to remove the tower at their expense. Today's Date: August 28, 2000 Processed By: Garfield County Planning Department Board of County Commissioners Agenda Item Request Project Name: Type of Application: Site Location: Applicant: Meeting Date and Time: Estimated Duration: Section/Township/Range: Staff Planner: Public Meeting: SBA Communications, Inc. Cattle Creek Telecommunication Tower Special Use Permit — Telecommunications Tower Approximately three miles west of Carbondale near the Crystal River Ranch development Lance Evans September 5, 2000 @ 1:30PM One half hour Within the East 1/2 of the Southwest'/4 of Section 2, Township 7 South and Range 89 West, Garfield County, State of Colorado Greg Butler Yes Please write this request on the hall calendar. Thank you!