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Home My WebLink About2.0 Staff Report 06.13.2005Exhibits for Public Hearing held on June 13, 2005 Exhibit Letter (A to Z) Exhibit A Mail Receipts 13 Proof of Publication C Garfield County Zoning Regulations of 1978, as amended D Application E Staff Memorandum F Letter from the City of Glenwood Springs dated April 19, 200 Livtu11, o PO -IttAi �1n, �- I/`r''i (/144 O{ -i”,---• i uM,, r # .711 154^- )4k 6-41°- , ply,..,`» i trn. j)7 ----p PROJECT INFORMATION AND STAFF COMMENTS REQUEST PROPERTY OWNER APPLICANT LOCATION SHE DATA ACCESS EXISTING ZONING BOCC 06/13/05 FJ Special Use Permit for a "Communications Facility" John E. Colby Verizon Wireless On top of "Colorado West Upholstery" building in South Glenwood Springs 0.23 acres (10,018 sq. ft.) 2552 South State Highway 82 Commercial General (CG) I. REQUEST The Applicant requests a Special Use Permit for a "Telecommunications Facility" which is contemplated as a Special Use in the Commercial General zone district and defined in Section 2.02.155 of the Zoning Resolution of 1978 as the following: A noninhabitable 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. 1 II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSAL Verizon Wireless requests a Special Use Permit for a Telecommunications Facility to provide coverage in an area of Glenwood Springs that has week service. Specifically, in order to provide better wireless coverage to this weak area located between 23rd Street to the north in Glenwood Springs and ju Last Red Canyon Road (CR 115) to the south, the Applicant proposes to construct a .�ercened set o 12 ireless panel antennas on the roof top of the Colorado West Upholstery building located at the QII h end of Glenwood Springs on Highway 82 and across from the Rose Bud Cemetery. The mechanical equipment for the antennas will be housed within a 240 sq. ft. portion of the existing building. The rooftop of the building maintains a height of 15 V2 feet. The antennas will be located inside two screened areas on each end of the building with a height of approximately 5 feet. As a result, the maximum height for the newly constructed screened areas containing the panel antennas would achieve a maximum height of 20' 8". III. Sl'1'E DESCRIPTION The subject property is located at the south end of Glenwood Springs just south of the municipal limits on the north side of State Highway 82. The property, containing approximately 10,000 sq. ft., is presently improved by the Colorado West Upholstery business which is a single story rectangular structure with a low pitched metal roof. The property is relatively flat with a slight southerly slope and fronts directly onto State Highway 82 although access to the property comes from an easement across the neighboring property to the west. The property to the west (towards Glenwood) is presently under construction by David Hicks for office and storage space and is also zoned Commercial General. The properties to the north and east are improved with residential structures but are all located within the Commercial General zone district. IV. REFERRALS Staff referred the application out to the following review agencies and or County Departments: a. City of Glenwood Springs: No Comment (See Exhibit F) b. Garfield County Sheriff's Department: No Comment on the Application V. REVIEW STANDARDS Special Uses are subject to the standards in Section 5.03 of the Zoning Resolution. In addition, the proposed use shall also be required to address the standards specific to communications facilities Section 5.03.13 of the Zoning Resolution. These review standards are presented below followed by a response by Staff. A. Section 5.03 Review Standards 1) Utilities adequate to provide water and sanitation service based on accepted engineering standards and approved by the Board of County Commissioners shall either be in place or shall be constructed in conjunction with the proposed use; 2 Staff Finding The proposed facility is an unmanned antenna which requires no water or method for dealing with wastewater. This standard has been met. 2) Street improvements adequate to accommodate traffic volume generated by the proposed use and to provide safe, convenient access to the use shall either be in place or shall be constructed in conjunction with the proposed use; Staff Finding The proposed facility requires very minimal traffic for routine maintenance / service and will not generate any measurable traffic impact to the county road system. Staff finds no improvements are necessary. 3) Design of the proposed use is organized to minimize impact 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 intensivelyutilized areas, access points, lighting and signs in such a manner as to protect establshed neighborhood character; Staff Finding The proposed antennas are to be located on the rooftop of an existing building and are to be screened entirely with a square structure that resembles parapets which are intended to screen rooftop mechanical equipment serving the structures. In this case, the propose screening will be made of the same color and material as the siding of the Colorado West Upholstery building so that they many effectively be incorporated into the overall structure design. The supporting mechanical equipment will be located in the existing building. The photo above shows the antenna additions to each end of the Colorado West Upholstery building. It should be further noted that the height of the two structures is only 5 feet and the total height of the building with the structures is only 20 feet which is 15 feet less than the maximum height in the CG zone district of 35 feet. A much taller structure could be erected as with only a building permit and no zoning review. 3 Staff finds that the properties to the rear and south of the building may have their views impacted with the rooftop structures. Staff suggests the Applicant provide a top enclosure so that any views looking downward on to the roof are softened by screening the antennas inside the enclosures and be painted the same material as the building. Lastly, due to the screening of the antennas on top of the building and the fact that the supporting mechanical equipment is located inside the existing building, the proposed use is organized to minimize impact on and from adjacent uses. B. Section 5.03.13 Review Standards: Communication Facilities Such communication facility shall be approved by the FCC and the FAA, where appropriate. In addition, the following standards will be used in the review application for a communication facility: 1. All facilities shall comply with the radio frequency emission requirements of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) and any facility in compliance cannot be denied. Staff Finding The application states that all Verizon Wireless emissions are regulated by the FCC. 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. Staff Finding Rather than attempt to erect a new stand-alone tower, the Applicant proposes to locate the antennas on an existing structure where the physical components are screened and integrated within the overall design of the building. Staff finds that this arrangement is consistent with the spirit of the county' s policy on co -location which is intended to reduce the proliferation of free standing towers. The Applicant also states that this location does not preclude other companies from also locating their antennas at the same location. Staff finds this standard is met. VI. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends the Board of County Commissioners APPROVE the request for a Special Use Permit for a "Communications Facility" for a property owned by John E. Colby for Verizon Wireless with the following conditions: 1. That all representations made by the Applicant in the application and as testimony in the public hearing before the Board of County Commissioners shall be conditions of approval, unless specifically altered by the Board of County Commissioners. 2. The Applicant shall obtain the appropriate building permits from the County Building and 4 Planning Department. 3. All facilities shall comply with the radio frequency emission requirements of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). 4. The Applicant shall paint the proposed fiberglass screening surrounding the antennas to match the color of the portion of the building on which they are located. In addition, the Applicant shall install a roof feature at the same color as the screen to cover the antennas that has a roof pitch to match that of the building. 5. The proposed generator to be housed inside the existing building (west end) shall comply with the state statute regarding emission of noise. 5 Message Fred Jarman From: Cathi Edinger Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2005 3:10 PM To: Fred Jarman Cc: Mark Bean Subject: FW: email from county WEB site See message below! Original Message From: Jill Peterson [mailto:jillp@ci.glenwood-springs.co.us] Sent: Thursday, May 12, 2005 3:18 PM To: Cathi Edinger Subject: email from county WEB site Attention Building and Planning RE: Special Use Permit - 2552 Hwy. 82 - Verizon Wireless The City of Glenwood Springs has no comments to offer on this application. jillp@ci.glenwood-springs.co.us 5/12/2005