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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2.0 BOCC Staff Report 02.05.2001B of CC - Febnrary os'h, 20ol PROJECT INT'ORMATION AND STATT' COMMENTS REQIIEST: APPLICAITTT: LOCATION: SITE DATA: WAIEK SEWER: E)ilSTING ZOITTING: ADJACENT ZOITIING: Special Use Permit for a Telecommunication Facility Voice StreamPCS tr, Corporation 0324 Coryell Ridge Road, Glenwood Springs, CO. Legal description, a leased parcel within the Lot 21, Section l, Township 7 South and Range 89 West of Garfield County in the State of Colorado. A cellular telephone facility consisting of 55-foot monopole, a24' X 30' enclosed equipment area at the base of the tower, and concrete pads to support the base transmitting station equipment of each tenant Unmanned facility. Unrumned facility. Commercial Limited Commercial Limited I. RELATIONSHIP TO TEE COMPREHENSIVE PLAN This proposal is located in Study Area I of the Comprehensive Plan. This part of . Garfield County is considered a Visual Conidor. However the applicant is trying to dwelop this site to minimize visual impacts to the suroun,{iqg arc by building either a flag1rcle mount or false tree design. IL INTRODUCTION / DESCRIPTION OB THE PROPOSAL Voice Stream Wireless has approached the planning department for permission to construct a 55-foot community monopole near Carbondale. This site was chosen because it allows good coverage of the State 82 Corridor and ry udlizing the cottonwood trees described in the landscape blueprints the monopole might be blended into the background. The proposal will consist of a 55-foot "community monopole" and have a base area large enough to enclose their base transmitting cabinets. At the base of the tower and surrounded by a six foot mesh-screen fence will be a24' by 30' 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). Accesstothisunmannedsite willbe fromCoryellRidgeRoad. Initiallythere will be construction activity on this site mostly consisting of medium duty tnacks and possibly a healy crane truch after constnrction site activity is generally limited to one maintenance visit a month. SBA had a telecommunications tower recently approved in this vicinity and collocation was suggested. The radio frequency engineers for Voice Stream Wireless rwiewed the SBA site and had these concerns; "Terrain variances to the south along the ridgeline prohibit coverage past the Cattle Creek area along Highqray 82. Essentially the handover 'l to the existing Carbondale site would not happen if Voice Stream Wireless were to locate on the SBA site. GART'IELD COIINTY ZONING RESOLUTION There are two section ef ths 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 hrfugResolution dealing with Conditional and Special Uses scates: Design of the use is organized to minimize impacts on andfrom adjacent uses ofland through installation ofscreenfences 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. Voice Stream Wirele,ss has tried to be very thorough in their investigation of Garfield County ZonngRegulations and trying to dwelop their proposal to conform to those regulations. The applicant is proposing to use a "communigl monopole" at this location instead of the traditionel raqaepole. The difference in these two types of poles can be seen in the attached photocopies. The flagpole appears to b€ just that, a flagpole complete with American flag at the top and the antennas contained in the pole. The next alternative.is the false tree design where the branches extend out ftom the top and the antennas are hidden by the branches (photo-sims attached). Per Garfield County Tnnng Regulations, the proposed monopole 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 monopole will be unlighted; all equipment will be painted to match the existing buildings surrounding this site and landscaping will b€ used to screen the six foot high fence surrounding the BTS units. The Voice Strcam site is approximately thirty feet above the Valley floor and then an additional fifty-feet above thaL The base cabinets will be easy to scr€en with the landscaping proposed on their blueprints. The monopole itself becomes quite difficult to screen because of its height and location. While the blueprints show backdrop cottonwood trees of approximately thirty feet in heigbt this might not be enough to properly scr@n the monopole. 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 applicationfor a communicationfacility: 1. Allfacilities shall complywithfrequenqt emission requirements ofthe FCC and anyfacility in compliance cannot be denied. 2. The co-location of telecommunicationfacilities 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 communicationfacilities by the encouragement of coJocating mch facilities.i. A freestanding telecommunication facility, including antennas, shall not exceed the mmimum structure height in the applicable zone district unless an exception is approved by the Board based on the applicott demonstrating the fo I low ing : (a) Use of existing landforms, vegetation and stntctures to aid in screening the facility from viev) or blending in with the surrounding built natural ewironment (b) Design, material and colors of antenna and their support structures shall be compatible with the sunotnding environment, 1l m. lr and monopole support structures shall taperfrom the base to the tip- (c) It is consistent with existing commrnication facilities on the same site. Voice Stream Wireless gets is right to operate this facility from the Federal Communication Commission (FCC), which assigns @uencies and sets emission standards. Uncheckd uncorrected frequenry or emission violation can result in suspension or revocation oftheir operating license. The only other cellular facility in this area and less han a mile way, the just recently approved SBA facility will not satiq their needs because of height and RF concerns, comments attached for your review. Steps Voice Stream is taking to prevent this site from becoming a visual nuisance are, using a site that has cottonwood tress in the background and then a willingness to construct either a flagpole or false trce. Screening the base cabinets with a six (6) foot high wood fence and additional landscaping. Ited'C' is not applicable to this review. REFERRAL AGENCY COMMENTS The following agencies have been contacted for their ooncents and comments:l. Pi&in County Airporg Sardy Fiel{ Ray CretibsZ. Glenwood Springs AiryoG Jessica McMillan (requested FAA iszued "Deterrrination of No llazud)3. Garfield County Airpo( Kenneth Maenpa4. Carbondale Planning Departmeng Mark Chain FCC assigned frequencies for these airport facilities range from I18.E5 MIIz to 123.8 MlIz. The assigned frequency for the applicant is between 1.6 GHz and 2.1 GIIz, because of this the chance of cross talk or interference is highly unlikely. (Glenwood Springs and the Rifle airport use 122.8 MlIz; Pitkin County uses 118.85, RECOMMEI\tDATION Staffrecommends Denial of this communication facility by the Board of County Commissioners unless the applicant can prove conclusivelythat their monopole will be adequately screened to prevent this site from becoming a visual blight to the area. rv.