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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPN_Project Narrative_Crown Castle_210602_v1.pdfAdministrative Conditional Use Permit – Project Narrative Crown Castle 831070 A-Team / 816039 Sunset Relo PROPOSAL SUMMARY INFORMATION Site Name: 831070 A-Team (816039 Sunset Relo) Applicant: Crown Castle 2055 S Stearman Dr Chandler, AZ 85286 Carriers: New Cingular Wireless PCS LLC (AT&T) T-Mobile Representative: Lynx Consulting Jennifer Taylor 17311 135th Ave NE Suite A-100 Woodinville, WA 98072 (206) 228-2127 jtaylor@lynxconsulting.org Property Owner: Renton Housing Authority Scope of Work: Proposal to construct monopine and fenced compound for minor communication facility for collocation by two (2) wireless carriers. Parcel: 722780-2040 Address: 2902 NE 12th Street Jurisdiction: City of Renton Zoning: R-14 Estimated Project Cost: $185,000.00 Amount of cut/fill: 45 CY Cut & 95 CY Fill 1,996 sq ft of new & replaced impervious surface 5,300 sq ft of disturbed area for clearing for utilities, grading, and construction access. Trees to be removed: 6 within lease area 3 within access road Crown Castle 831070 A-Team / 816309 Sunset Relo Administrative Conditional Use Permit Application 1 PROPOSAL DESCRIPTION Crown Castle is a wireless communications tower company operating in the City of Renton. Crown Castle proposes to construct a new minor communication facility tower to replace an existing communication tower on adjacent property that will be removed. AT&T and T-Mobile will collocate on the proposed replacement communications tower. The proposed wireless communication tower is a monopine (a stealth tower designed to appear as a tree). The tower will be 114’ tall with branches extending to 120’ tall. The structure will be located within a 34’ x 50’ fenced equipment compound. This will be an unmanned facility, does not require water or sewer, and will not generate a significant traffic impact on the surrounding road system. Existing access roads and driveways will be used and upgraded as needed. Access will be from Harrington Ave NE. The subject parcel is zoned (R-14). Adjacent zoning to the north, east, and west of the site is also Residential (R-14). Adjacent zoning to the south is Center Village (CV). The site was previously used for a library and is now Renton Housing Authority health services building. Adjacent properties are primarily multi-family residential. There are no critical areas in the vicinity of the proposed site. Per the following in Renton Municipal Code 4-2-060 Zoning Use Table, this proposal for a stealth tower requires an Administrative Conditional Use Permit and a height variance. Additionally, as the proposed tower exceeds 60 feet, a SEPA Review is required. Accordingly, this application package includes an Administrative Conditional Use application with height modification request and Environmental Checklist. Crown Castle has designed this project to meet City of Renton local ordinances and zoning regulations while providing the wireless communications coverage that is necessary for the carriers to provide service and enhance their network in the City of Renton. CRITERIA COMPLIANCE NARRATIVE: For Wireless Communication Facilities: Renton Municipal Code (RMC) 4-4-140 D. COLLOCATION REQUIRED: Crown Castle 831070 A-Team / 816309 Sunset Relo Administrative Conditional Use Permit Application 2 RESPONSE: This project is a relocation of a facility due to an existing tower being removed for property redevelopment. There will be two carriers on the proposed replacement tower. There are no existing tower or support structures within the geographic area that meet the applicant’s engineering requirements for height or structural capacity to provide antenna collocation for two carriers. RMC 4-4-140-F STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL TYPES OF WIRELESS COMMUNICATION FACILITIES: RESPONSE: Ground equipment for the proposed carriers cannot be placed underground. The project proposes to place equipment within a wood fence and landscaped area for screening. Sheet A-3 of the submitted plan set demonstrates that the compound is only large Crown Castle 831070 A-Team / 816309 Sunset Relo Administrative Conditional Use Permit Application 3 enough for the two proposed carriers and a third future collocator. No generators are proposed. RESPONSE: The maximum height allowed for a stealth tower is 150’. This proposed tower will be 120’ including branch height and does not exceed this requirement. Tree survey was completed and is discussed in a later section of this narrative. The site does not fall within the Airport Influence Area. Crown Castle will verify the tower height meets FAA regulations. RESPONSE: This proposal includes a stealth structure designed to appear as a tree in order to better meet the character of the site which includes numerous trees. Existing vegetation and trees are being retained as much as possible and supplemented with additional landscaping. The base of the structure will be enclosed within a wood fence that fits the character of the site. RESPONSE: The applicant is requesting a reduction in the setback requirement. Due to the shape of the property and the layout of the existing building and parking lot, the property cannot accommodate a one-to-one setback. The proposed tower will be 114’ with branches extending to 120’ and will be engineered to meet all code requirements. The project has been designed with tower setbacks of 75’ from the north property line, 60’ from west property line and 57’11” from the east property line. Crown Castle is requesting approval of this reduced setback. Crown Castle 831070 A-Team / 816309 Sunset Relo Administrative Conditional Use Permit Application 4 RESPONSE: All equipment will comply with the noise standards in compliance with this section. No generator is proposed. RESPONSE: A six-foot wood fence surrounding the facility is proposed. RESPONSE: No lighting of the stealth tower is proposed. No advertising is proposed. A site identification placard will be placed on the security fence. The proposed stealth tower will be designed to meet code criteria. Engineering documentation will be provided with building permit application associated with this land use application. The proposed facility will comply with all FCC regulations and standards. RMC 4-4-140-I STEALTH TOWER STANDARDS: Crown Castle 831070 A-Team / 816309 Sunset Relo Administrative Conditional Use Permit Application 5 RESPONSE: This proposal for a faux tree (monopine) will be located less than 100 feet from existing trees. The enclosed survey and tree survey map shows that there are a number of trees directly adjacent to the compound and include cedars, fir, maples and more. RESPONSE: A tree survey was completed and is submitted with this application. It shows heights of mature trees in the general vicinity, both on the property and on adjacent properties tat fall within sight lines of the tower. The average of 37 trees with heights ranging from 30’ to 100’ was 69.1 feet. Each of the carriers that will collocate on the proposed replacement tower need greater height or coverage required cannot be achieved. The proposed stealth tower is 120’ tall in order to accommodate the required height of 114’ for AT&T and 98’ for T-Mobile. See enclosed height justification reports from AT&T and T- Mobile. The applicant has placed the tower in an area of other trees and has reduced the visual impact to the greatest degree feasible while meeting the coverage requirements of the telecommunication carriers. This meets the intent of the code to disguise the tower in the greatest degree possible. The proposed height is allowed for stealth towers but does not meet the limitation on relation of height to other trees. We are requesting Administrator approval to modify the limitation on when the full stealth tower height can be used. RESPONSE: The proposed monopine will be ordered from Valmont. Included with the application is a brochure on their pine tree tower solutions. The monopine will be designed to be as natural in appearance as is feasible. Valmont proposes 3 branches per foot ranging in length from 4’ to 10’ and starting at 20 feet in height. Please see enclosed brochure and photo renderings. Crown Castle 831070 A-Team / 816309 Sunset Relo Administrative Conditional Use Permit Application 6 RESPONSE: All items affixed to the exterior of the tower will be painted/colored to match to ensure they blend with the structure. RMC 4-4-140-L. APPLICATION SUBMITTALREQUIREMENTS: RESPONSE: Included with this application is an RF justification letter from each wireless carrier describing the relocation of the tower, the need for the site in this area, and the coverage loss without replacement. No generator is proposed therefore no noise report is included. RESPONSE: Photo simulations are provided with views from four (4) vantage points and a map demonstrating where each image was taken from. Crown Castle 831070 A-Team / 816309 Sunset Relo Administrative Conditional Use Permit Application 7 RESPONSE: Due to this proposed tower being a stealth monopine, the type of attachments is set by the manufacturer. Visual mitigation is achieved through use of the stealth tower which are depicted in the development plan set, photo simulations, and manufacturer brochure. The plan set also references the proposed wood fence to screen views of ground equipment and proposed landscaping around the base of compound. RMC 4-9-030. DECISION CRITERIA – WIRELESS COMMUNICATION FACILITY RESPONSE: Crown Castle is proposing a 120’ monopine structure in order to better blend with existing trees in the surrounding multi-family residential and commercial neighborhood. The proposed height does include a request for height modification allowance as it is more than 30’ above the average tree height however it is necessary for the coverage objectives to be met. The location chosen has a building the screens the facility from the south. The use of wood fences, additional landscaping and stealth design allow it to better blend with the existing vegetation of the neighborhood. RESPONSE: The site and the surrounding properties are zoned residential. The surrounding properties have multi-family structures and the subject site is housing authority building/community health center. Due to the shape of the parcel and location available onsite for placement of the monopine, the applicant is requesting reduced setbacks to the property lines. The proposed tower will be 57’11” from the east property line which is the smallest setback. Landscaping and a wood fence are proposed around the base of the tower to blend better with residential style. Crown Castle 831070 A-Team / 816309 Sunset Relo Administrative Conditional Use Permit Application 8 This site will not generator traffic or noise to a degree that makes it incompatible with the adjacent uses. The location and type of communication facility will not impact circulation or use of neighboring properties. The facility will have no effect on development and use of neighboring properties. It is necessary for this type of facility to be located in the region it will serve which is recognized by the Comprehensive Plan in Chapter 9 the Utility section. This project is necessary due to the required removal of existing communication site nearby and will not introduce a new use to the vicinity or result in an increase in the total number of communication sites. RESPONSE: The proposed communication facility replaces an existing communication facility on adjacent property. Other development in the area includes multi-family residential properties, government services, and commercial uses. This is a replacement facility and is not a new use being introduced to the area and therefore not outside the character of the neighborhood. The communication facility is a passive use that will not affect use of the housing authority/community services property. RESPONSE: The topography of the site is generally flat. The proposal does not involve significant amounts of ground disturbance or increases in paved surfaces. There are numerous trees and plants that will be retained and supplemented with additional vegetation. A total of 6 trees are proposed to be removed that are within the leased area. An additional 3 trees will be removed in order to complete an access route. The design of the stealth tower was selected to blend in with the surrounding tree. Please see tree retention and landscape plan and photo simulations. The site will be accessed from Harrington Ave NE via the parcel to the north. That existing route will be upgraded and extended as needed to reach the facility. RESPONSE: The project will need all noise requirements. No generators are proposed. No light or glare impacts are anticipated as no lighting is proposed and only non-glare colors are used. The proposed fence will be wood and the tower is a monopine to reduce visual impacts. Crown Castle 831070 A-Team / 816309 Sunset Relo Administrative Conditional Use Permit Application 9 RESPONSE: This project is a relocation of an existing site that will be removed. There are no available towers in the area that are feasible for maintaining current coverage and can accommodate the equipment needed. There are two proposed carriers (AT&T and T- Mobile) and the site has been designed with space for future collocation. RESPONSE: The proposed facility is compatible with the general purpose, goals, and standards of the Comprehensive Plan Utilities Element Goal U-Q: “Promote timely and orderly expansion of all forms of telecommunications service within the City and its planning area.” Without a replacement communication facility in place when existing facilities are removed, service for wireless users in the surrounding area would be negatively affected. The proposed facility is allowed in the zone and falls within the height allowed for stealth towers. RESPONSE: Supplemental landscaping is proposed. See Landscaping Plan. RMC 4-9-250. MODIFICATION PROCEDURES: RESPONSE: This proposal and requested modification meets with the goals of the Comprehensive plan Land Use Element such as Goal L-D to provide essential facilities, Policy L-6 for efficient design of essential facilities which this project fits as it allows for the continued service from two wireless carriers with space for a third and Goal L-BB in the use of a monopine design for the new communication facility to have reduce aesthetic impact. Crown Castle is requesting a modification of the requirement that stealth tower height be limited to 20% increase or 30’ above average surrounding tree heights. The two wireless carriers that are collocating on the proposed replacement tower have indicated that Crown Castle 831070 A-Team / 816309 Sunset Relo Administrative Conditional Use Permit Application 10 additional height is minimum necessary. See attached AT&T and T-Mobile height justification reports. RESPONSE: The tower will be engineered by the manufacturer to ensure safety and function of the facility. The additional height requested above the average tree height in the area will not reduce the safety of the facility. RESPONSE: The increase from 99’ that would be allowed as a 30’ increase above average tree height would still be visible to properties in the vicinity of the site. An increase to 120’ as needed to meet coverage objectives will not create additional adverse impacts to surrounding properties. Although the tower will be taller it is not a significant difference that would lead to substantial impact. RESPONSE: The Code encourages stealth facilities and allows for monopines to be at 120 feet. The code suggests the type of stealth tower should be chosen to fit in with the surroundings. In this case there are numerous trees in the area and a monopine is the best option to provide collocation for multiple carriers with multiple antennas as well as fit with the neighborhood. RESPONSE: Crown Castle is requesting to place a new communication facility because of redevelopment of a nearby property which requires the removal of an existing facility. The new location is closer to tall trees. This allows for the use of a monopine design to fit in with the neighborhood but also requires that the antenna locations extend above tree heights for coverage. This application request for a modification of the requirement that stealth tower height be limited to 20% increase or 30’ above average surrounding tree heights is necessary to achieve the coverage objectives as per the AT&T and T-Mobile height justification reports. The photo simulations submitted with the application document the proposed tower will still fit within in the area.