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PC Minutes 2001-07-031 1 MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION JULY 3, 2001 PAGE 1 CALL TO ORDER Chair Costello called the regular meeting of the Planning Commission of the City of Arroyo Grande to order at 7:00 p.m. ROLL CALL Commissioner Brown X Commission Fowler X Commissioner Guthrie X Vice Chair Keen X Chair Costello APPROVAL OF MINUTES The minutes of the June 19, 2001 were approved as submitted. ITEM I. A. ORAL COMMUNICATIONS None B. WRITTEN COMMUNICATIONS None ITEM II. PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS A. CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT CASE NO. 01 -004; APPLICANT - CALIFORNIA PACIFIC ANNUAL CONFERENCE OF THE UNITED METHODIST CHURCH; LOCATION - 250 WESLEY STREET Kelly Heffernon, Associate Planner, said the applicant is proposing to establish a telecommunications facility on the United Methodist Church campground property located just past the north end of Wesley Street. The facility would consist of an 80 -foot tall monopole that could accommodate up to 5 communication carriers. An equipment shelter would also be placed on the site for each carrier. A six -foot high fence, made of wood on 2 sides and chain Zink with barbed wire on the other 2 sides, would be placed around the perimeter of the 10,000 square foot lease area for security and screening purposes. The applicant proposes to camouflage the monopole to look like a pine tree, construct the shelters to match the campground cabins, and install landscaping around the lease area. Access to the project site would be by means of an existing 12 -foot wide driveway. The preferred access alternative is to construct a new driveway just west of the campground facility up to the project site. This would be a more direct approach, and would satisfy the emergency access concerns of the Fire Department. The applicant is agreeable to this alternative. The applicant has submitted a written request to waive the requirement that all overhead utilities be placed underground. The property contains a total of 10 utility poles with MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION JULY 3, 2001 PAGE 2 associated overhead utility lines that are subject to this requirement. The Public Works Director and Community Development Director have reviewed the applicant's request and determined that the undergrounding requirement is not considered "impractical" or "infeasible" based on topographic soil or other conditions. The applicant is requesting that the Planning Commission consider the circumstances outlined in the letter and grant the exception. Jim Guthrie asked when the water tanks are replaced, will landscaping be done on the west end of this site? Ms. Heffernon: Public Works will respond to this question at the next Planning Commission meeting. Public Comment Open Joel Rosen, Representative for Crown Castle, gave the history and background information on the project. Crown Castle's main concerns are locating in an area that will address the carrier's need and at the same time create a situation with the least visual impact. Commissioner Brown asked if there was another location that would not provide the same optimum level of coverage, but would still be economically viable? Mr. Rosen said they would be willing to explore another location and they may be able to locate closer to the trees slightly west of the present site, but the elevation at this specific location will universally address a number of carriers' needs. Jim Guthrie asked if ATT (fixed wireless) needed this much height and would two 65 -foot poles in place of the one 80 -foot pole be feasible? Mr. Rosen said he was not sure, but he would get this information. At the top of an 80- foot pole ATT is achieving their objective. If height is an issue Crown would be willing to explore other height options as long as the trees do not block the line of site. Joel Rosen addressed further issues raised by the Planning Commission: • One equipment building is less obtrusive than 5 separate buildings. • Noise from the generators has been significantly reduced and they will not be running all the time; figures could be provided on this. The houses will not hear the generators running situated where they are. • The chain -link fencing around the compound could be replaced with wood (the area facing the houses). Steve Tallant, Resident Site Manager, addressed other concerns of the Planning Commission: • High- tension lines are only about 200 yards from the facility and they will supply adequate power to the site. 1 1 1 MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION JULY 3, 2001 PAGE 3 • The proposed secondary road gives the Fire Department a direct secondary access into the heart of the camp at a 10 -12% grade, and would reduce the ridge line traffic (one service truck per carrier per month for maintenance). • All the money from this project will stay at the facility and be used for the enhancement of the facility, which is for the community's use. • The equipment cabins are slightly narrower than the existing outbuildings and we required Crown Castle to have them blend in with these buildings. • A Redwood fence could be built around the entire facility if required. • He described where the power lines were situated and where the location of the crank was in comparison to where the proposed pole would be. Because of the trees the crank could not be placed exactly where the pole would be. • The lease with Crown Castle had been written on a per carrier basis. • The money from this project will allow some major improvements to the camp and we would no longer be running at a deficit. Forest Crowe, 281 Miller Wav - His concerns were visual pollution, the view from his house (he can view it from inside); the value of his house will decrease (he referred to an article in the New York Times). Radiation may not be a problem, but he thought ATT should have sent the surrounding neighborhood information to educate them on this. Dan Hiedvmain, 265 Miller Way - She thought there is a provision in the gift to the Methodist church that if it was ever used for anything else it would revert to the family. Would the City of Arroyo Grande be willing to pay for damages to their houses? Carey James, 285 Miller Wav - His backyard faces the intended location of the proposed monopole. He asked - is the property owned by a trust as a charity and has an attorney reviewed this proposal "? He had many other concerns, some of which were visual impacts, environmental hazards, maintenance and the impact on property values. Joe Abeschon, 313 Mercedes Lane - His concerns were that the City of Arroyo Grande has no guidelines for a project like this, the site area is a deer pathway, and the hazards from cell sites have not been established. Holly Ziegler, 420 Woodland (owns property on Miller Way) - The height of the pole is equivalent to an eight -story building, and the property values of the homes this site overlooks will be sorely diminished. This monopole will dominate the Village and will be viewed from many areas within the City of Arroyo Grande. She would like to see a lower pole and one that would blend in with the natural environment. Don O'Dav, 317 Old Ranch Road - Had a petition from homeowners on Mercedes Lane and Old Ranch Road asking the Planning Commission to disallow the monopole. The pole is too high on the ridgeline and very inappropriate. Doug & Barbara LeSage, 297 Miller Wav - Preserving the historical Village is a concern and they believed this monopole would effect the whole City. Other concerns were the MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION JULY 3, 2001 PAGE 4 effect on the wildlife, the devaluation of property values, and would the pole need aviation lights on top of it? Holly Ziegler - Ms. Zielgler had two more comments - 1) As a Board Member of ECOSLO she believed anything with electro- magnetic frequencies should not be placed near any homes or schools, and 2) The viewshed will effect Bridge Street, Traffic Way, Grand Avenue, and thought the whole community should be part of the decision, not just properties within 300 feet. Mr. Johnson, 2670 Mercedes Lane - His concerns were with the environmental issues, and he wondered how the project got a Negative Declaration. Ms. Cominami, 329 Old Ranch Road (recently purchased this property) - Has environmental concerns both underground and above ground, and concerns with health, noise, and property values. Janice Summers, Site Advisor for the Methodist Camp: • The Methodist Camp wants to work with the people of Arroyo Grande. • Crown Castle had come to the Methodist Camp; they had not made the initial contact. • Variations on the height, location, and having two poles instead of one, was never suggested by Crown Castle. • There is an agreement that the heirs have a right to get back 19 acres out of 29 acres if the camp is not continued as a non - profit United Methodist Camp. The cell site is not part of the 19 acres that would revert back to the heirs. • Noise - the air conditioners for the equipment buildings will not put out much noise • Crown Castle and the other providers will take care of the maintenance. Joel Rosen, said Crown Castle would like to work out a compromise that achieves the objectives of the carriers, but does not compromise the value of people's homes. The crank that they had put up to show what 80 -feet would look like does not represent what the tree would look like. There would not be any lights or flags on top of the monopole. Crown Castle would be willing to discuss a compromise on the location. Health issues have been addressed and he would supply this information. Public Comment closed. The Planning Commission further addressed the concerns of the public: • The City should have a master plan as soon as possible for these cell sites. • It would be preferable to have just a few clustered cell sites in the City rather than many separate sites, and a grove of trees rather than one large tree. • The tree on this project is too tall, located too high on the ridge. It should be moved closer to the other trees, but then it may be in the Village viewshed. • The site should be reviewed in relation to the City water tank. 1 1 1 MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION JULY 3, 2001 PAGE 5 • Undergrounding the poles will address visual impacts and the Development Code specifies that this has to be done. • Would a new driveway be better than the old one? A major cut in the bluff would have a visual impact on the Village. • Could the equipment buildings be moved further down the hill so the tops would be below ridgeline to help eliminate noise? • Two shorter poles rather than one very tall pole would be preferable for the neighborhood. • In the absence of specific guidelines by the City, the Planning Commission could not support a 75 -80 foot pole with the visual impacts of this project. • The technology remains unclear on these cell sites. • The Telecommunications Act of 1996, regulates personal wireless communication facilities. If all the required testing has been done the Planning Commission cannot deny a project for health reasons. • This project could be denied based on the finding that the proposed use could be materially injurious to properties in the vicinity. Commissioner Keen made a motion, seconded by Commissioner Guthrie, to continue the project to date uncertain, and to bring it back to the Planning Commission with the concerns addressed. ROLL CALL VOTE: Commissioner Brown Commission Fowler X Commissioner Guthrie X Vice Chair Keen Chair Costello ITEM III. NON- PUBLIC HEARING ITEMS None ITEM IV. DISCUSSION ITEMS None ITEM V. PLANNING COMMISSION ITEMS AND COMMENTS None ITEM VI. COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR COMMENTS AND FOLLOW UP REPORTS Kerry McCants said due to caseload and staffing problems it will be difficult to get the Planning Commission packets ready on a Thursday and it will be Friday before they are MINUTES PLANNING COMMISSION JULY 3, 2001 PAGE 6 ready in most cases. In addition Community Development would like to institute a consent agenda on such items as Certificates of Compliance. ITEM VII. ADJOURNMENT The meeting was adjourned at 10:00 P.M. to the next scheduled meeting on July 17, 2001. ATTEST: Lyn( Reardon- Smith, Acting Commission Clerk Community Development Director ph M. Costello, Chair 1