HomeMy WebLinkAboutA_Cover_Letter_LDC_180222_v1
February 22, 2018
Alex Morganroth, Associate Planner
City of Renton Community & Economic Development
1055 South Grady Way
Renton WA 98057-3232
RE: Verizon Proposed WCF at SEA Retail Renton
Dear Alex,
This cover letter is provided regarding the Master Use Application for Conditional Use Permit requested
by Verizon at 960 Park Ave referenced as Verizon site SEA Retail Renton.
With regard to wireless specific application packet materials, attached are the following:
Zoning Drawings
RF Justification Letter
Maps including RF Planning, Inventory of existing sites, site coverage (before and after)
Photo simulations
NIER – FCC Compliance
Zoning Drawings - Plans
The attached plans reflect the proposed Verizon - Wireless Communications Facility (WCF) on the roof
of the Verizon Store at The Landing to a top of antenna screen height of 33’. See Project Description in
Responses to CUP Submittal Requirements.
The proposed project location on the roof does not involve any ground equipment so does not affect
existing parking spaces or landscaping at the site. There will be no ground disturbance associated with
the project.
RF Justification - Overview
The attached RF Justification Letter was prepared by the assigned Verizon Radio Frequency (RF)
Engineer for the area. The associated maps provide the technical design data for RF Engineering
parameters regarding the Verizon wireless Network at the City core. Please note that the site is needed
for capacity coverage not the typical signal geographic coverage associated with a new wireless
network. The concentration of patrons, vendors, and employees on the campus and in buses and
vehicles as well as wireless users traveling the major arterials at/through The Landing, as well as smart
phone data and other uses in a concentrated area overload the existing nearby Verizon sites. As a result,
the proposed site will off load those nearby existing sites which will improve wireless services at The
Landing and in the vicinity.
Letter to City of Renton – Verizon Proposed WCF at SEA Retail Renton 2/22/18
Network RF Planning
The issue is that although there is existing coverage in the Renton Core there is not adequate capacity to
provide a level of service needed to meet current demands. As a result, Verizon has planned several
permanent WCF sites in the area - intended to meet and accommodate the demands for adequate
wireless services and meet peak demands, now and into the future.
Attached is a map of planned and potential site locations in relation to Verizon existing sites within the
Renton core, the map depicts the locations of areas that need service improvements called polygons.
The map is from early 2017, but also includes areas pursued in the past for various site types regarding
Network Improvements. The map captures many approaches over many months including vigorous
attempts to secure various types of sites including Small Cells and Cell on Wheel (COW) deployment.
Unfortunately, the Small Cell polygons to date have been determined to be unfeasible.
As discussed with City representatives in the past, the use of a proposed COW is only a stop gap
measure needed by Verizon to immediate augment the existing RF signal strength in the Renton core
areas most needed to provide adequate service on temporary basis while permanent sites are pursued.
As a result, the map shows the locations (Polygons) where RF Engineering has identified locations where
permanent sites are needed to infill the existing Network in order to maintain adequate serves and
capacity.
In this case, the Verizon Retail Store was identified as a candidate for a potential permanent site at
The Landing campus.
SEA Retail Renton Candidate Selection & Justification
The SEA Retail Renton site is located at The Landing and lies in the shadow of tall condominium and
apartment buildings that block the Line of Sight from the Verizon pole to the East which Verizon calls its
Central Renton site. The Central Renton site is located near I-405 and therefore carries heavy wireless
traffic from the Freeway as well as areas at the Boeing Plant and businesses near The Landing campus.
The Central Renton site is overloaded at peak hours. As a result, the Retail Renton site will offload much
of the wireless traffic that originates from The Landing and Boeing users at Logan Ave.
Verizon is also pursuing another site on The Landing campus and the City Parking Garage. There have
been a number of challenges with the other candidates at The Landing which makes the need to
augment services from the Verizon Retail Store as critical, from both the service/capacity level as well as
timing to bring more capacity on line due to the issues described above affecting the existing Central
Renton site.
The other polygons at The Landing are called Test Flight and Garden Ave. The primary candidate for Test
Flight is the City of Renton Parking Garage. There was a primary candidate for Garden Ave at the roof of
the PetSmart Store; however that project fell through due to the primary tenant concerns. The current
candidate at Garden Ave is the rooftop of the former Famous Footwear Store however many of the
concerns at PetSmart are creating challenges for the project on the current Garden Ave candidate.
Verizon has vigorously pursued the site at the City Parking Garage called Test Flight, however to date the
City has all potential wireless projects on City property on hold due to the City Attorney’s office working
on a lease for Wireless Facilities. As a result, the ability to use the City Parking Garage is uncertain.
Letter to City of Renton – Verizon Proposed WCF at SEA Retail Renton 2/22/18
Retail Renton Site Selection Considerations
The roof top of the Verizon Store was selected for several reasons:
The property is zoned Urban Center (UC) which is a high impact commercial zone and is the
same zone as the adjacent properties.
The property is located near the intersection of two major arterials in the City of Renton.
The facility does not require ground space for electronic equipment as the Verizon Store fully
accommodates all other site operational needs with existing utilities and space for electronic
equipment.
The proposal blends in with the Architectural design of the host structure and the other
buildings at The Landing regarding antenna screens that are consistent with the varied and
unconventional roof top features on the buildings at the campus. Given the busy effect of those
structures and rooftop features at The Landing, the proposed antenna screening and paint to
match schemes of the screening design will integrate the facility with existing Architecture while
fully concealing the proposed antennas.
In summary, Verizon believes the CUP Justification findings as stated above and include the following
considerations:
1. All other feasible candidates and existing structures are not currently available or feasible near
the existing Polygons.
2. The proposal meets the City of Renton WCF and Development Standards and Codes; all
applicable local, state and federal laws and ordinances.
3. The proposal meets the SEPA exemption for WCF in a Commercial Zone. There is no ground
disturbance associated with the proposal.
In closing, Verizon needs the proposed facility in order to provide adequate wireless services in the area
of The Landing regarding capacity demands on its existing network in this part of the City of Renton
core.
Please feel free to call me at 253-218-9017 if you have any questions or need more information.
Sincerely,
Rick Cardoza
Senior Project Manager
LDC, Inc
The Civil Engineering Group
20210 142nd Avenue NE
Letter to City of Renton – Verizon Proposed WCF at SEA Retail Renton 2/22/18
Woodinville, WA 98072