Loading...
14SN0511CASE MANAGER: Robert Clay i ~ ~- ~j~, u ~l ~- ,k BS Time Remaining: 365 days STAFF' S REQUEST ANALYSIS AND RECOMMENDATION vC~9~~', ?~~Tc November 20, 2013 BS 14SNOS ll Cheryl L. Taylor Bermuda Magisterial District Off the eastern terminus of Pine Forest Drive REQUEST: Conditional use approval to permit a communications tower in an Agricultural (A) District. PROPOSED LAND USE: A 199 foot communications tower and associated improvements are planned. PLANNING COMMISSION RECOMMENDATION RECOMMEND APPROVAL SUBJECT TO THE CONDITIONS ON PAGE 2. STAFF RECOMMENDATION Recommend approval for the following reasons: A. The proposal conforms to the Comprehensive Plan which supports the location of telecommunications towers in areas designated for industrial uses, provided the visual impact of the base of the tower is minimized. B. The proposal conforms to the Tower Siting Policy which suggests that towers should be located in areas designated by the Comprehensive Plan for industrial use, designed for shared use and located away from areas of existing or planned residential development; and that views of the tower from existing or planned areas of development should be mininzed. (NOTES: A. CONDITIONS MAY BE IMPOSED OR THE PROPERTY OWNER MAY PROFFER CONDITIONS. CONDITIONS NOTED "STAFF/CPC" WERE AGREED UPON BY BOTH STAFF AND THE COMMISSION. Pro~Tiding a FIRST CHOICE community through excellence in public ser~Tice B. UNDER THE FEDERAL TELECOMM[_JNICATIONS ACT, LOCALITIES CANNOT REGULATE CELL TOWERS ON THE BASIS OF POSSIBLE HEALTH OR ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF RADIO FREQUENCY EMISSIONS.) CONDITIONS (STAFF/CPC) 1. The base of the tower shall be enclosed by a minimum six (6) foot high fence designed to preclude trespassing. The fence shall be placed so as to provide sufficient room between the fence and the property line to accommodate evergreen plantings having an initial height and spacing to provide screening of the base of the tower and accessory ground-mounted equipment or strictures from adjacent properties. A detailed plan depicting this requirement shall be submitted to the Planning Department for approval in conjunction with final site plan review. (P) (STAFF/CPC) 2. The color and treatment of the tower shall be as follows: a. The tower shall be gray or another neutral color, acceptable to the Planning Department. b. The tower shall not be lighted unless lighting is required by the FAA. If lighted, lighting during daylight hours shall be limited to medium intensity strobe lights with upward reflection and lighting during night-time hours shall be limited to soft blinking lights with upward reflection. c. The tower shall be a monopole stricture. (P) (STAFF/CPC) 3. Any building or mechanical equipment shall comply with Section 19-570 (b) and (c) and 19-595 of the Zoning Ordinance relative to architectural treatment of building exteriors and screening of mechanical equipment. (P) (NOTE: Section 19-570 (b) and (c) would require the screening of mechanical equipment located on the building or ground from adjacent properties and public rights-of--way. Screening would not be required for the tower or tower-mounted equipment.) (STAFF/CPC) 4. At such time that the tower ceases to be used for communications purposes for a period exceeding twelve (12) consecutive months, the owner/developer shall dismantle and remove the tower and all associated equipment from the property. (P) 2 14SN0~11-2013N0~'20-BOS-RPT (STAFF/CPC) 5. With approval of this request, prior to issuance of a final certificate of occupancy for the proposed tower, the existing tower located on Tax ID 803-631-Part of 2296, south of this site, shall be removed. gyp) GENERAL INFORMATION T ncati nn The request property is located off the eastern terminus of Pine Forest Drive, east of Jefferson Davis Highway. Tax ID 803-631-Part of 2296. Existing Zonin A Size: 1.1 acres Existing Land Use: Industrial or vacant Adj acent Zoning and Land Use: North, South and East - A; Government (VDOT office and equipment facility) West - A and I-1; Government (VDOT office and equipment facility) or vacant UTILITIES; PUBLIC FACILITIES AND COUNTY TRANSPORTATION This request will have no impact on these facilities. ENVIRONMENTAL The precise limits of the Resource Protection Area (RPA) must be established on the property through a process managed by the Water Quality Section of the Environmental Engineering Department prior to the submission of a site plan. The site plan must show that the proposed constriction activities will not encroach into the RPA. COUNTY COMM[_]NICATIONS The Zoning Ordinance requires that any stricture over eighty (80) feet in height be reviewed by the County's Public Safety Review Team for potential detrimental impacts the stricture could have on the County's Radio Communications System microwave paths. This determination must be made prior to constriction of the communications tower. 3 14SN0~11-2013N0~'20-BOS-RPT COUNTY AIIZPORT A preliminary review of this proposal indicates that, given the approximate location and elevation of the proposed installation, there will be no adverse affect on the County Airport. LAND USE Comprehensive Plan: The Comprehensive Plan suggests the property is appropriate for Industrial use. The Public Facilities Plan, an element of the Comprehensive Plan, suggests that communications tower locations should generally be located to nunimize the impact on existing or future areas of development. Alsq in areas designated for industrial uses, the visual impact of the base of the tower should be minimized. The Tower Siting Policy suggests that towers should be located in areas designated by the Comprehensive Plan for industrial use. It should be noted that the Commission is currently evaluating the Tower Siting Policy. They have set a public meeting for October 15, 2013 to discuss the revised policy. As conditioned, this request complies with the draft policy. Area Development Trends: With the exception of Millside Subdivision to the south, the area is characterized by industrial development and vacant property north, east and west of the request site. It is anticipated industrial development will continue in this area, as suggested by the Plan. Zoni ng History: The property is owned by the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT). A communication tower has been located on the property for many years. When originally erected the tower was considered an accessory to a permitted use, as it was for use by VDOT only. Over the years cellular carriers were allowed to co-locate on the tower stnict~ire and such carriers did not obtain the requisite zoning. A carrier wishes to upgrade equipment on the tower, and it's been determined the current tower is not stnicturally sound enough to accommodate the equipment modifications. Therefore, a new tower is proposed as a replacement for the existing tower. With the approval of this request, there is the potential for two (2) telecommunications towers to be located on the property within close proxinuty of each other. While the plan is to relocate telecommunications equipment from the existing tower onto the new tower and remove the existing tower, leaving only one (1) tower on the property, Condition 5 is intended to provide assurance that the existing tower gets removed. 4 14SN0~11-2013N0~'20-BOS-RPT Development Standards: The tower site is within the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) office and equipment complex, behind and adjacent to one of the strictures located on the property. Driveway access is to be provided out to Pine Forest Drive. The proposed tower is intended to replace an existing tower currently located near the front of the property. The request property lies within an Emerging Growth Area. The purpose of the Emerging Growth District standards is to promote high quality, well-designed projects. However, because the request property is zoned Agricultural (A), development is not required to meet the development standards for Emerging Growth Areas. Staff recommends the imposition of Condition 3, requiring compliance with Emerging Growth Area requirements relative to the architectural treatment of the proposed equipment building and screening of mechanical equipment. Condition 2 requires the proposed communications tower to be a monopole, intended to minimize its appearance (Attachment). The base of the tower should be secured with a fence to discourage trespassing and screened to minimize the view from adjacent properties. (Condition 1) To ensure that the tower does not become a maintenance problem or an eyesore, the tower and associated equipment should be removed at such time that it ceases to be used for communications purposes. (Condition 4) CONCLUSION The proposal conforms to the Comprehensive Plan which supports the location of telecommunications towers in areas designated for industrial uses, provided the visual impact of the base of the tower is nnimized. In addition, the proposal conforms to the existing Tower Siting Policy which suggests that towers should be located in areas designated by the Comprehensive Plan for industrial use; be designed for shared use; be located away from areas of existing or planned residential development; and that views of the tower from existing or planned areas of development should be minimized. Given these considerations, approval is recommended. CASE HISTORY Planning Commission Meeting (10/15/13): The applicant accepted the recommendation. There was no opposition present. On motion of Mr. Patton, seconded by Mr. Gulley, the Commission recommended approval subject to the conditions on page 2. 14SN0~11-2013N0~'20-BOS-RPT AYES: Messrs. Brown, Wallin, Gulley, Patton and Waller. The Board of Supervisors, on Wednesday, November 20, 2013 beginning at 6:30 p.m., will take under consideration this request. 14SN0 ~ 11-2013N0~'20-B ( )S-RPT Q ~_ N aWc G w N 4 PROP06ED GSM AND ANtDrNAS ANTENNA NOTE: LTE ANTENNA HEIGHT NOT TO EXCEED EXISTING UMTS ANTENNA HEIGHTS. A SfRUCTURAI ANALYSIS OF THIS TOWER WAS NOT PERFORMED BY VELOpiEL, N~lC. COPfiRIVCTOR SHALL REFER TO STRUCTl1RAL ANALYSIS (IF APPUC/IBLE) AND COORDINATE LTE ANTENNA AND ASSOCIATED EQUIPMENT MOUNTN~IG WRH THE SRE CONSTRUCTION MANAGER AND THE TOWER OWNER. PROPOSED 18'x2 AT~T EQUIPMENT SHELTER LTE ANTENNA PROP06ED COMPOUND FENCED PROPOSED TOWER ELEVATION NOT TO SCALE $_ N 1 z ~ v U e 14SN0511-1