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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2000-08-02; Planning Commission; ; CUP 00-13 - GTE WIRELESS LA COSTA'e City of Carlsbad Planning Departme, A REPORT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION P.C. AGENDA OF: August 2, 2000 ItemNo. @ Application complete date: May 25, 2000 Project Planner: Barbara Kennedy Project Engineer: Kathy Farmer SUBJECT: CUP 00-13 -GTE WIRELESS LA COSTA -Request for a Conditional Use Permit to allow the installation of an unmanned cellular facility consisting of a 200 square foot equipment room and twelve (12) panel antennas mounted to an existing SDG&E transmission tower. The site is located within the open space easement between Esfera Street and Piragua Street, north of Caho Court in the Planned Community (PC) Zone in Local Facilities Management Zone 6. I. RECOMMENDATION That the Planning Commission ADOPT Planning Commission Resolution No. 4 795 APPROVING CUP 00-13 for a period of five (5) years, based on the :findings and subject to the conditions contained therein. II. BACKGROUND This item was discussed at the July 19, 2000 Planning Commission meeting. At the request of the Planning Commission, the meeting was continued to August 2, 2000 so that the applicant could investigate various options for lowering the equipment building into the ground. The applicant has modified the design of the proposed building as shown on the enclosed plans. The attached letter from Deborah Collins, Lettieri-McIntyre and Associates, Inc. dated July 24, 2000, describes the proposed modifications in detail. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Planning Commission Resolution No. 4 795 2. Letter from Lettieri-McIntyre and Associates dated July 24, 2000 3. Letter from property owners dated July 21, 2000 4. Staff Report dated July 19, 2000 with attachments 5. Revised Exhibits "A" -'"E" dated August 2, 2000 0 'e City of Carlsbad Planning Departmef A REPORT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION~ P.C. AGENDA OF: July 19, 2000 ItemNo.@) Application complete date: May 25, 2000 Project Planner: Barbara Kennedy Project Engineer: Kathy Fanner SUBJECT: CUP 00-13 -GTE WIRELESS LA COSTA -Request for a Conditional Use Permit to allow the installation of an unmanned cellular facility consisting of a 200 square foot equipment room and twelve (12) panel antennas mounted to an existing SDG&E transmission tower. The site is located within the open space easement between Esfera Street and Piragua Street, north of Caho Court in the Planned Community (PC) Zone in Local Facilities Management Zone 6. I. RECOMMENDATION That the Planning Commission ADOPT Planning Commission Resolution No. 4795 APPROVING CUP 00-13 for a period of five (5) years, based on the findings and subject to the conditions contained therein. II. INTRODUCTION This application is a request for a conditional use permit to allow an unmanned cellular communications facility consisting of a freestanding 200 square foot equipment room and 12 panel antennas mounted to an existing SDG&E steel lattice transmission tower. Quasi-public utility facilities are permitted in the Planned Community (PC) zone by conditional use permit and all required conditional use permit findings can be made for the proposed cellular communications facility. ID. PROJECT DESCRIPTION AND BACKGROUND The proposed communications facility, operated by GTE Wireless, is located within an SDG&E open space easement between Esfera Street and Piragua Street, north of Caho Court. The 100 foot wide easement, which contains SDG&E transmission towers and lines, is bordered by single-family residential development. The proposal consists of the collocation of 12 panel antennas mounted to a 119 foot tall steel lattice transmission tower together with the construction of an unmanned 200 square foot equipment building. The 12 panel antennas are each approximately 8 inches wide by 4 feet long. The panels will be flush mounted to the tower at a height of 47 feet to the top of the antennas and will be painted to blend in with the existing transmission tower. The proposed 200 square foot equipment building has been designed with a stucco exterior and red tile roof to blend in with the surrounding residential development. In order to minimize any potential noise impacts, the air conditioning units will be located on the west elevation facing towards the easement rather than towards the adjacent residences. The building will be located about 12 feet northwest of the 0 CUP 00-13 -GTE WIRE.its LA COSTA July 19, 2000 Page2 transmission tower and 5 feet from the property line. The nearest residential structure is over 75 feet from the equipment building. A 6 foot high chainlink fence wiII surround the building and drought tolerant shrubs will be planted around the enclosure for additional screening. GTE Wireless is a cellular communications company licensed to operate in California by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC). Currently, there are four cellular sites located within Carlsbad and two additional sites are currently being processed. Although no additional sites are anticipated in the City of Carlsbad at this time, new sites may be necessary in the future to provide additional capacity if warranted by customer demand. The proposed facility is needed to provide coverage in the La Costa area. Currently, there is extremely limited coverage and the proposed site, located at the top of the hill, will provide the necessary height to provide unobstructed line-of-site transmission to existing cellular facilities to the south, east, and west. IV. ANALYSIS The proposed project is subject to the following regulations: A. La Costa Master Plan/Planned Community Zone (PC) (Chapter 21.38 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code); B. Conditional Use Permit Regulations (Chapter 21.42 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code); C. Growth Management (Chapter 21.90 of the Carlsbad Municipal Code). The recommendation for approval oftbis conditional use permit was developed by analyzing the project's consistency with the applicable City regulations and policies. The project's compliance with each of the above regulations is discussed in detail in the sections below. A. La Costa Master Plan (MP 149)/PC Zone The proposed development is located within an SDG&E transmission line open space easement within the La Costa Vale Unit #3 development area of the La Costa Master Plan (MP 149 (0)). Accessory and quasi-public buildings and facilities, such as the proposed use, are allowed in all zones including the Planned Community (PC) zone with approval of a conditional use permit per Section 21.42.010(2)(J) of the Carlsbad Municipal Code. The La Costa Master Plan states that aII uses and improvements within the open space corridors shall be governed by the Open Space (OS) Zone development standards. The only potential development standard that could be applied is in regard to a maximum 25 foot building height limit allowed in the OS Zone. The proposed building height of 13 feet complies with the height limit and the equipment building is set back 5 feet from the property line. The panel antennas will be mounted on an existing transmission tower and would not be subject to a height limitation. Visual impacts will be minimal in that the equipment building has been designed to be architecturally compatible with the surrounding residences in that it consists of a stuccoed building with a wood fascia and red tile pitched roo£ Landscaping is also proposed around the exterior of the equipment building to provide additional screening. Additionally, the proposed panels will be painted to match the tower. The collocation of panels on the existing transmission CUP 00-13 -GTE WIREi!ls LA COSTA July 19, 2000 Page3 • tower also minimizes the visual impacts of the project by eliminating the need to install a new pole structure to achieve the needed height to provide coverage. B. Conditional Use Permit Regulations Conditional uses such as cellular communications facilities possess unique and special characteristics which make it impractical to include them as permitted uses "by right" in any of the various zoning classifications (i.e., residential, commercial, office, industrial). The authority for the location and operation of these uses is subject to Planning Commission review and the issuance of conditional use permits. Staff has reviewed the proposed project and found that all the necessary findings can be made to approve the conditional use permit. The required findings and supporting facts are contained in Table 1, below. Table 1 -CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FINDINGS AND RESPONSES FINDING That the requested use is necessary or desirable for the development of the community, 1s essentially in harmony with the various elements and objectives of the General Plan, including, if applicable, the certified local coastal program, and is not detrimental to existing uses or to uses specifically permitted in the zone in which the proposed use is to be located. That the site for the intended use is adequate in size and shape to accommodate the use. That all of the yards, setbacks, walls, fences, landscaping, and other features necessary to adjust the requested use to existing or permitted future uses in the neighborhood will be provided and maintained. PROJECT CONSISTENCY The requested use is necessary and desirable for the development of the community because of the benefit and demand for mobile voice and data transmissions for businesses, individuals, public agencies and emergency service systems. The proposed use is consistent with the General Plan in that the Open Space land use designation does not preclude the provision of quasi-public utility uses, nor is it detrimental to existing permitted uses in the Planned Community Zone. The site 1s adequate in size and shape to accommodate the use in that the collocation of the panel antennas on the existing transmission tower will reduce the site impacts because no new pole structures are proposed and the equipment building can be located on the site without the need for variances from development standards. In addition, there is adequate room to install landscaping around the structure to provide additional screening. The location of the equipment room complies with the OS and PC zone development standards and cbainlink fencing and landscaping will surround the equipment room to further reduce its visibility. The collocation of the panel antennas on the transmission tower will reduce the visual impact of the cellular facility. CUP 00-13 -GTE WIRE~S LA COSTA July 19, 2000 Page4 That the street system serving the proposed use is adequate to properly handle all traffic generated by the proposed use. C. Growth Management • The use generates very little traffic, requiring only routine maintenance visits twice monthly and occasional visits in response to operational problems. The existing dirt road located within the open space easement will be used to access the site. The site is located within Local Facilities Management Zone 6. The collocation of the panel antennas on the existing transmission tower and construction of the 200 square foot unmanned equipment room will not result in increased public facilities demands; therefore, the proposal will not exceed performance standards for public facilities. V. ENVffiONMENTAL REVIEW The construction and installation of small new equipment facilities or structures is a Class 3 Categorical Exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act (Guidelines Section 15303). The FCC requires compliance with radio :frequency power density standards (ANSI/IEEE C95.l-1992) for the general public, therefore, the project would not have a significant impact on the environment. In light of the above, a Notice of Exemption will be filed by the Planning Director upon project approval. ATTACHMENTS: 1. Planning Commission Resolution No. 4795 2. Location Map 3. Background Data Sheet 4. Disclosure Statement 5. Letter from Lettieri-McIntyre & Associates, dated May 23, 2000 6. Letters from property owners, dated June 15, 2000, June 25, 2000, and July 8, 2000 7. Reduced Exhibits 8. Exhibits .. A" -"E" dated July 19, 2000 BK:cs - SITE GTE WIRELESS LA COSTA CUP 00-13 -BACKGROUND DATA SHEET - CASE NO: -=C-=UP.::.....;0=0-=-1-=3 ______________________ _ CASE NAME: GTE Wireless La Costa APPLICANT: GTE Wireless of the Pacific Inc. REQUEST AND LOCATION: A request for a conditional use permit to allow the installation of an unmanned cellular facility consisting of a 200 square foot equipment room and 12 panel antennas mounted to an existing SDG&E transmission tower located within the open space easement between Esf era Street and Piragua Street. north of Cabo Court. LEGAL DESCRIPTION: Lot 401 of Carlsbad Tract No. 72-20 (La Costa Vale) Unit No. 3. in the City of Carlsbad, County of San Diego, State of California, according to Map thereof No. 7950, filed in the Office of the County Recorder of San Diego County, June 3, 1974. APN: 223-240-23 Acres: 1.9 Proposed No. of Lots/Units: N~/A=------------ GENERAL PLAN Ai,rn Z01''ING Land Use Designation: -=O=S'--'('-"Op~e=n=-=S:::..ip=a=c=e),__ _____________________ _ Density Allowed: _N_/A _______ _ Density Proposed: N=-=/ Ac.=_ ___________ _ Existing Zone: PC (Planned Community) Proposed Zone: =-N""'/A'-=-------------- Surrounding Zoning, General Plan and Land Use: Zoning General Plan Site Planned Community OS North Planned Community RLM South Planned Community RLM East Planned Community OS West Planned Community OS PUBLIC FACILITIES School District: ENSD Water District: Olivenhain Sewer District: Leucadia Current Land Use Open Space Transmission Line Easement SFR SFR Open Space Transmission Line Easement Open Space Transmission Line Easement Equivalent Dwelling Units (Sewer Capacity): =-N~/A~------------------- E1'1VIRONME1"1AL ThlP ACT ASSESSMENT D Negative Declaration. issued _______________________ _ D Certified Environmental Impact Report, dated _________________ _ [8J Other, Categorically Exempt, Class 3, Section 15303 • JL.tl 19 '00 03:21PM LETTIERI-MCINTYRE & ASSOCIATES P.2/8 --City of Carlsbad M=IAOl,ii■Ri,Jlffiiliiil§el• DISCLOSURESTATEMENT Applicant's statement or disclosure of certain ownership imerests on all applications which will require discretionary action on the part of the City Council or any appointed Board. Commission or Committee. The foUo\Ving information MUST be disclosed at the ~c of appli~on submittal. Yow-project cannot be reviewed until this information is completed. Please print. Note Person is defined as ~Any m.dividuaJ, firm, ~' :jaint ·'ftlltln, assaclaucm,, social club, ftatemal orgwzadon, c;oqiacatioa,, cmte, 1nm. recei'ver, ~ In 1his -1· my 01her· ·coumy. city and county, city munlcip8lity. district« od:iel-politicaJ..sabdiv cr.any1Jlher group or cumbiutiaa uh!g u a unit." Acenm may sign this document; however, the legal name.and aatity of 1be applicabt and property owner must be provided below. 1. APPLICANT (Not 1he applicam's agent) 2. Provide the COMPLEtt, Ll!GAL names and addresses of AI& persons having a fmancial interest in the application. If the applicant includes a corporation or partnership, include the names. title, addresses of all individuals owning inore than 10'/4 of the shares. IF 'NO · INDIVIDUALS OWN MORE THAN 10% OF mE SHARES. PLEASE INDICATE NON- APPLICABLE {NIA) IN nm SPACE BELOW. If a Rflbliclv-owned cou,oratiolla include the names, titles. and addresses of the cotpOratc officers. (A separate page may be attached if necessary.) . SEE ATTACHED Person·----~------=---- Title~----------- Addte$S, __________ _ Corp/Part ______________ _ Title ______________ _ AddR:SS _______________ _ OWNER (Not the owner's agent) . Provide me COMPLETE. LEGAL names and addresses of ALI. persons having any ownership interest in the property involved. Also, provide the nature of the legal ownership (i.c, partnership, tenants in C!)Dlmo1tp non-profit, corporation. etc.). lf the ownership includes a corporation or partnership,. include the names. title. addresses of aU individuals owning more than I 0% of the shares. IF NO INDIVIDUALS OWN MORE THAN 10% OF Tim SHARES. PLEASE INDICATE NON-APPLICABLE (NIA) IN THE SPACE BELOW. lf a pyblicly- ownEd corporation, include the names.;titl~s. and addresses of the corporate officers. (A separate page may be auached if necessary.) LANI): '?OWER: Person 'l'homas H. Casey, Esq. san Diego Gas~ ~lectrtc Corp/Part. __________ _ Title. __ ch_a_p_t_e_r_7_T_:r:_u._st_a_a_f_or __ _ Title SEE ATTACHED ----------------J3CE Development. Inc. Address "M,ltd'.s:31sJ. Au:way Avenuer Su.ite A-l ·------..-------- Costa Me&ar CA 92626 Nature of Ownership: Bankruptcy Estatlil/NA 2075 Las Palmas Dr.• Carlsbad, CA 92009-1576 • (760) 438-1161 • FAX (760) 438-0894 3. '00 03:21PM LETTIERI-MCINTYRE & ASSOCIATES NON-PROPJT~nONOR TllUST - P.3/8 If any pc:rson identified pursuant to ( l) or (2) above is a nonprofit orpnjption or a m,st. list the names ~ addresses of~ person servin& as an officer or director of the non-profit o~anization or as trustee or beneficiary of the. Non Protit/frust N/~ Non Profit/frust. ___ N_~;_A _____ _ Title. __ ........ _________ Title. _____________ _ Address.__________ Address, ___________ _ 4. Ha.ve you had more than $250 worth of bus~s uansacted with any member of City staff. Boards, Commissions, Committees and/or Council within the pasttwel11e (12) months? 0 Yes [!] No Ifye.s, please indieatepers011(s):. __________ _ NOTE: Attach additional sheets if necessm.y. I certify that all the above information is true and correct to the best of my knowledge. See Attached Letters Signature of owner/date i;m01nas H. Casey. Esq. San Diego Gas & Electric Print or type name of owner Kimberly Sheredy Print or type name of owner/applicant's agent H:ADMIN\COUNTER\DISCLOSURE STAn:M!NT 5/H see Attached Letter Signaum: cf-i,pli~date G'l'B Wirel~ss/WTS Print or type name of applicant Page 2 Of 2 - DISCLOSURE STATEMENT ADDENDUM GTE-La Costa Cellular Facility 1. APPLICANTINFORMATION: GTE Wireless of the Pacific, Inc. c/o General Dynamics/WTS 2835 Camino del Rio South. Suite 110 San Diego, CA 92108 GTE Wireless is a Publicly Owned Corporation CORPORATE OFFICERS: GTE Wireless One GTE Place. GA1B3LGL Alpharetta, GA 30004 Charles Lee Chairman. CEO Michael Masin Vice Chairman, President of International Daniel O'Brien Executive Vice President of Finance, CFO William Barr General Counsel, Executive Vice President of Government & Regulatory Advocacy J. Randall MacDonald Executive Vice President-Administrator of Human Resources - 2. OWNER INFORMATION: San Diego Gas and Electric (subsidiary of Sempra Energy) IO I Ash Street San Diego, CA 92101 Nature of Legal Ownership: Publicly Owned Corporation CORPORA TE OFFICERS: Richard Farm.an Chairman. CEO Stephen Baum Vice Chairman. President. COO Neal Schmale Executive Vice President. CFO John Light Executive Vice President. General Counsel Jerry Florence Senior Vice President-Corporate Communications S \PL.\N'.1:ING'GTEWTSl.:!l8ld1Scstmnt doc JLL 25 '00 09:50AM LETTIERI-MCINTYRE & ASSOCIATES July 24. 2000 Barbara Kennedy City cif Carlsbad - 1635 Faraday Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92008-7314 • SUBJECT: CUP 00-13-GTE WIRELESS-LA COSTA CELL SITE Dear Barbara: As directed by the Planning Commission at the hearing on July 19, 2000, GTE has modified the design of the proposed equipment building to reduce its height above ground level. As indicated on the enclosed revised site plans, the equipment building will be recessed four feet below the existing ground level. In addition, the slope of the tile roof has been flattened from a 4:12 pitch to a 3:12 • pitch to reduce the height of the roof from three feet to 2'-7'" while still maintaining the architectural · feature of a pitched roof. The net effect of these two design changes is to _reduce the height of the building above the existing ground level by 4' -5". This results in an above ground building height of 8'-7'~ feet, compared to the 13-foot-tall building height that was reviewed at the July 19~ 2000 Planning Commission hearing. Three other design changes are also included in the revised site plans. First, for security reasons, the vinyl-coat~d chain link fencing will be replaced with a decorative wrought iron with omward curving points to prevent anyone from being able to climb over the fence and onto the roof of the equipment building. Second, to further address conditions about noise from the air conditioning · units, the proposed wall mounted air conditioners have been replaced with ground mounted air conditioners to be l9cated on the building pad four feet below the natural ground level. This below ground location will further attenuate sound frorn the air conditioners. Third, based on input from SDG&E~ the two existing palm trees will be removed since SDG&E does not allow vertical features above 15 feet in height in their transmission corridors. In addition, you are invited to attend the meeting we have scheduled with interested residents for Thursday, July 2-,th at 5:30 p.m. at the project site IO review the revised site plans prior the-August 2nd Planning Commissi.on hearing. Sincerely. LEITIERI-McINTYRE AND ASSOCIATES -,,f\.r. !J. . ·-~WUuW {iiliN't'{) Deborah L. Collins. AlCP Senior Project Manager CC; Virginia Partridge, General Dynamics WTS 1551 FourthA·venue, Suite430, San Diego, California 92101~3152 / (619) 238-4241 / FAX (619) 238-9m May 23. 2000 Barbara Kennedy City of Carlsbad 1635 Faraday Avenue Carlsbad, CA 92008-7314 - SUBJECT: CUP 00-13-GTE WIRELESS-LA COSTA CELL SITE Dear Barbara: GTE Wireless appreciated the opportunity to meet with you at the subject La Costa cell site to discuss the proposed facility and issues raised in the City's Completeness Review Letter dated April 13. 2000. The Completeness Review Letter identified aesthetic concerns with the cluttered appearance of the proposed collocation on an existing SDG&E steel lattice transmission tower and recommended that GTE evaluate an alternative of a stealth collocation on one of the surrounding residences. At the site visit. you recommended that GTE submit \\Titten documentation of the information presented at the site visit As requested, this letter provides: I) additional background information on wireless technology. 2) GTE"s coverage obj~ctives for this area, and 3) alternative sites initially considered by GTE. 4) the results of GTE"s analysis of the feasibility of relocating their proposed facility on an existing residence and 5) project design revisions made by GTE in response to the City"s concerns about potential aesthetic impacts. Background Information on Wireless Technology Wireless communication systems operate on "'line-of-sight" technology to provide phone service within a coverage area. The Federal Communication Commission (FCC) allocates each cellular provider 416 channels and one channel is needed for each phone call. To provide the needed system capacity, the 416 channels are reused throughout the system. If sites using the same channels can ·•see'' each other. this creates interference within GTE's phone system. resulting in poor call quality or dropped cells. Consequently, sites must be located high enough to "see•· the desired coverage area. but not too high to ·'see" other sites, which causes interference problems. Additional sites are added to the system to expand the coverage and capacity of wireless phone service. As the system continues to grow and new sites are added, there is less flexibility in the location of the new sites because the coverage areas are getting smaller and closer together. It is also important to note that the grid pattern of sites for each wireless provider is different. While sometimes a particular site may provide the desired coverage for multiple providers. other times a particular site will not meet the needs of different providers hased on: 1) differences in their system grid pattern which affects coverage area objectives and 2) the radio frequency (RF) frequency of the provider (i.e., cellular versus PCS). Cellular communication systems operate in the 800 to 900 megahertz portion of the spectrum. There are only two cellular providers in each market. PCS (Personal Communications Service) such as PacBell, operates in the 1800 to 2200 megahertz portion of the spectrum. Because PCS operates at higher frequencies with shorter wavelengths, the RF signal for PCS does not propagate as far compared to the lower frequency/longer wavelength of cellular's RF signal. Consequently, PCS Barbara Kennedy May 23, 2000 Page2 - systems are characterized by more, smaller facilities that are lower in elevation and provide coverage to smaller service areas compared to cellular systems that tend to require fewer. larger sites with taller height requirements. GTE 's System Design and Coverage Objectives Approximately 85 percent of GTE' s existing facilities are ··stealth" sites involving collocations on existing structures or architectural/design solutions to minimize visual impacts of the facility. GTE Wireless pursues "stealth" facilities whenever possible to minimize the cost and time involved in obtaining the required zoning approvals. The proposed facility is needed to provide coverage in the La Costa area. As sho\\11 on the enclosed map of '·Current Coverage Before the La Costa Site .. (Figure]), there is extremely limited coverage in the La Costa area. The map indicates a signal strength of -80 dBm which is the minimum level required to provide adequate coverage. The green area represents where there is existing coverage while the gray area represents areas lacking adequate coverage. The La Costa site. located at the top of a hill. provides the necessary height to provide unobstructed line-of-sight transmission to existing cellular facilities to the south. east and west. The enclosed ·'Proposed Coverage for La Costa" (Figure 2) map illustrates the e:x"tent of the coverage (sho,\n in green) that will be provided in the La Costa/southeastern Carlsbad area by the proposed site. The coverage map clearly illustrates how the proposed facility would meet the coverage objectives discussed above as well as provide the needed link to the adjacent sites in the surrounding area. l have also enclosed a composite Thomas Brothers map identifying the location of GTE's existing and pending sites in the surrounding area to illustrate how the proposed site fits into GTE's established network. GTE currently has four existing sites within the City of Carlsbad, as described below. Cell Site Location Description Carlsbad l 0 15 Chestnut A venue Screened rooftop antennas Encinitas 6727 El Camino Rea 60' monopole adjacent to the Twin •'ff' water tanks Poinsettia 760 Macadamia Drive Screened rooftop antennas Raceway 2714 Loker Avenue West Fa9ade mounted antennas In addition, GTE is currently processing applications for two other cell sites in the City of Carlsbad. These include a rooftop building collocation at 5823 Newton Drive near the intersection of College Boulevard/El Camino Real and a monopole near the intersection of Tamarack/El Camino Real. No other sites are anticipated in the City of Carlsbad at this time. However, additional sites could be necessary in the future to provide additional capacity if warranted by customer demand. Alternative Sites Initially Considered by GTE To meet the coverage objectives for this site, GTE needs antennas that are positioned to .. see'' the areas surrounding the site to the south, east, and northwest (i.e., the directions the antennas would face on the tower). The SDG&E transmission towers are the only existing structures in the area that Barbara Kennedy May 23. 2000 Page3 - provide the necessary height to meet the coverage objectives. GTE initially evaluated three different SDG&E towers illustrated in Figure 3 (Alternative Sites Considered) as potential candidate sites: • Tower #171 is located on a knoll on the east side of North Rancho Santa Fe Road. This tmver is located too far to the east to provide the desired coverage. In addition. this more remote location would result in problems e:,...1:ending the necessary utilities (telephone lines, electricity. etc.). • Tower #172 is located between the proposed site and North Rancho Santa Fe Road. This tower is too low to meet the coverage objectives. • Tower #173 is the proposed project site. This location is at the ideal elevation to .. see .. in all three directions to provide the needed coverage to the surrounding areas. Residential Collocation Alternative To address the concerns raised by staff regarding the cluttered appearance of the proposed facilit) and their recommendation to collocate on a residence like PacBell, GTE" s RF engineers have completed a comprehensive evaluation of the surrounding residences to determine if any of these sites would adequately meet GTE"s coverage objectives. GTE first evaluated PacBeII's proposed site located at 7412 Cadencia Street that ,vas recently approved but not yet constructed. This site is at a much lower elevation on a hillside and only shoots down into the val1ey to the north. In order for PacBell to improve wireless coverage in the eastern portion of La Costa, it requires three separate PCS facilities. As discussed previously. PCS systems tend to have more, smaller sites at lower elevations compared to cellular service due to the difference in the spectrum frequencies that result in shorter signal propagation. In order for GTE to provide coverage for the same area, only one facility is needed at a higher elevation. Consequently. the location and elevation of Pacific BelJ's Cadencia Street site is not compatible with GTE"s coverage needs for the area. GTE then evaluated the surrounding neighborhood to determine if there were any residences with sufficient elevation to provide the needed coverage. The residences located at the highest elevation occur along Fosca Street immediately to the east of the SDQ&E transmission tower corridor (see Figure 4). However, even these homes are not high enough to provide the required line-of-sight coverage. In addition. there are significant differences in the size and type of equipment between PCS and cellular providers that affect the feasibility of collocating a facility on an existing residence. While PacBell could easily architecturally integrate its three .. relatively smalr' antennas (quoted from the Negative Declaration) into a 4' x 4' x 4"-8'" faux chimney feature, GTE"s cellular equipment is too large to allow a stealth collocation on a residence. GTE's cellular system requires twelve four-foot- long panel antennas. with four antennas grouped into a sector oriented in a specific direction to interface with the adjacent cell sites. Within each sector, the antennas must be mounted to provide a minimum of one foot of horizontal separation between the antennas. If GTE were to build a faux chimney, it would have to be very large (i.e .• a minimum of eight feet wide) and would not fit into the architectural character of the neighborhood. ln addition, GTE would need to build two or three faux chimneys to accommodate the 12 antennas and provide the required orientation. There would also be significant structural issues if GTE were to locate the antennas on the roof of an existing Barbara Kennedy May 23. 2000 Page4 - residence or if another type of architectural feature were added. In addition. GTE needs a Io· by 20- equipment shelter to store the radio equipment that would need to be located on the residential lot. Other Alternative Designs Monopalm -GTE also considered the possibility of utilizing a monopalm (i.e .. a faux palm trees with the antennas screened by artificial fronds) in the same area as the proposed facility as an alternative to collocating on the transmission tower. It was felt that a monopalm would be more visually obtrusive than mounting the antennas on a transmission tower. In addition. SDG&E does not allow other vertical elements to be added within their transmission corridors. If the monopalm were to be located on a residential property, it would need to be approximately 50 feet tall to proYide adequate coverage and an interested property owner would need to be identified. Afonopine -Similarly. a monopine or faux pine tree could be proposed. This presents similar issues as discussed above for a monopalm except that the monopine would need to be at least IO feet taller to provide for pine branches above the antennas. Four-in-One Panel Antennas -Sometimes a four-in-one (4:1) antenna configuration can be used where four panel antennas are vertically stacked creating the appearance of one long panel antenna approximately eight feet tall. A 4: 1 antenna configuration is not feasible on the SDG&E transmission tower for two reasons. First, SDG&E· s location criteria require that the top of the antennas be a minimum of 16 feet below the lowest power line. This spacing requirement combined with the additional 7 feet of clearance needed for the vertically stacked antennas does not provide the needed elevation to maintain the required line-of-sight coverage. Second, SDG&E needs to maintain three feet of clearance around the tower legs for climbing purposes and therefore does not allow antennas to be mounted on the legs of their transmission towers. Relocate the Equipment Building -The City's Completeness Review Letter requested that the equipment building be relocated directly north of the transmission tower to minimize the impacts on the view into the open space area. Again, SDG&E's siting criteria precludes relocating the equipment building since SDG&E requires that encroachments into their corridors be minimized. In summary, GTE has completed an exhaustive search of alternative facility locations in the surrounding area and has determined that the transmission tower is the only hilltop location that meets their coverage needs. The differences between PacBeirs and GTE's technology and coverage objectives prevent GTE from installing a facility similar to PacBell' s. The differences in antenna design, the number of antennas required, and their orientation make it impossible for GTE to design a faux chimney on an existing residence. In addition, there are no residences in the surrounding area with sufficient roof height to provide the needed line-of-sight coverage. The proposed collocation on an existing 119'2" tall steel lattice transmission tower is the only feasible alternative since it is the only existing structure that provides the needed height to provide the line-of-sight coverage. The proposed project minimizes the visual impacts by collocating the panel antennas on an existing public utility structure and eliminates the need to install a new pole structure to achieve the needed height to provide coverage. The addition of GTE·s s··-wide panel - Barbara Kennedy May 23. 2000 Page5 antennas wilI have a negligible visual impact given the complex pattern of the cross pieces on the steel lattice tower (see enclosed photo simulation-Figures 5 and 6). To respond to the City"s concerns about potential aesthetic impacts, GTE has proposed se\'eral design revisions listed below to make the facility as stealth as possible. 1. Painting the panel antennas to match the existing transmission tower. 2. Utilizing a state-of-the-art panel antenna that reduces.tbe width of the amenna from 12" to 8'" {see enclosed photo-Figure 7) to blend with the crosspieces. 3. Utilizing a state-of-the-art antenna with electronic down-tilting to allow the antennas to be flush mounted on the tower instead of being physically tilted. 4. Eliminating the microwave dish antenna. 5. Enhancing the design of the equipment building by adding a tile roof (Valencia) and a stucco exterior (Pebble) as well as a fascia (Moorwood) to the equipment building. 6. Providing landscaping (eight 15-gallon knife acacias and fourteen 5-gallon wild lilacs) to screen the equipment shelter and the chain link fence. We hope that with this additional information, staff will reconsider their position on the proposed project. We would request that the CUP be docketed for a Planning Commission hearing as soon as possible since there are no other viable alternatives for GTE to pursue. Please feel free to contact me at (619) 238-4241 if you have further questions about the project. Sincerely, LETTIERI-MCINTYRE AND ASSOCIATES -\r r I r f t I• 0 Ir• 7'~ L~~~) Deborah L. Collins, AICP Senior Project Manager Enclosures: Map ofGTE's Surrounding Site Locations Figure 1 -Current Coverage Before the La Costa Site Figure 2 -Proposed Coverage for La Costa Figure 3 -Alternative Sites Considered Figure 4-Photograph of the Existing Residences along Fosca Avenue Figure 5-Photograph of Existing SDG&E Tower Figure 6-Photosimulation of the Proposed Facility Figure 7 -Photograph of the Proposed Panel Antenna CC: Virginia Partridge. GD/WTS Ron Enalen, GTE l GTE Wireless I I §!If: PLAN ft!; APPROVAL FOR ZONING SUBMITTAL __ , ____ .... ___ _ -~"'----........ 4'1, ....... ___ _ -·----~"'----~ ...... ~111111l__."""'-_,. - REVISIONS .. ,. -,,,.,.. .,.._ ,_,., .,.,._ .,_ --,_ ..,_ ... _ .,,_ -... _ SHEET SCHEDULE lt1'I fll.AN ' ~ ~ l!N.......,llnll'lM lllnWl(llt...,.,.l'IOIIII '6 ~ ~AT10M APPLICANT/ LESSEE fJ:o'=-...,,. PWO-, U,.. IQIII LEGAL DESCRIPTION -· BUILDING DATA ~M'•l◄N.. ,.,..,. ........... ~M::.'l"~M.Otttr • VICINITY MAP ft~all0l'P.t«tl41.,1 ..... • oi>II; ! ~; • I II • I .. ,."-....... I •, / ............. ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ...... ............ ............. sli!JtRGED SITE PLAN G ....... , ............. , ...... ...... ·, ., ANTENNA DETAIL ....... --....... - --~ I --,,,,,.., .... • o6llt; ~: • I lj • l .. WEST ELEVATION .......... ~.,. ........ -- SOUTH ELEVATION --·•"· .... • o6II~ !l tlll~:! I • I I 1! • 11 • l ,. EAST ELEVATION NORTH ELEVATION ............ ..aW•«'• ~I 19#\,I '~ .-....___ ~'-"'· ~~ -0 Mtf-.l%1]Hf-11:t;, H~ lh1':: ·:;,/"' 'r _ {4MXo,S)(?50lj>)(o.,;,t) (O,t,,S) CONCEPTUAL LANDSCAPE PLAN &CME:1.r .. r-0' JAMES R. IVERBEN 1415 MACKINNON AVE. CARDIFF, CALIFORNIA 92007 (760] 942-1742 1-e.GE:.NO f'l'.,ey>-"I" lefti""'"'°'~"' Hlw i. 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