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Narative (Letter of Explanation) City of Meridian Community Development: Planning 33 E. Broadway Ave, Ste. 102 Meridian, ID 83642 Subject: Parcel: S1133223010 Site Address: No Situs. Located near SE corner of Amity and Eagle Road. Project Name: Horizon Tower ‘Amity’ Wireless Communications Facility Planning and Development Services, Powder River Development Services is representing Horizon Tower regarding the construction of a new wireless communication facility in the City of Meridian, referenced above. The scope of work of this project consists of: Construction of a new stealth, 100’ tall monopine tower which will allow for collocation of multiple tenants. The compound will have a fenced 20’X70’ lease area. Attached is the Narrative required by the City of Meridian for Conditional Use Permit applications. If you have any questions or need more information, please don’t hesitate to ask. Respectfully, Zachary Williams Site Acquisition Agent Powder River Development Services, LLC 408 S. Eagle Rd, Ste. 200 Eagle, ID 83616 (208) 963-4026 Powder River Development Services, LLC 408 S. Eagle Rd, Ste. 200 Eagle, ID 83616 (208) 938-8844 office (208) 938-8855 fax www.powderriverdev.com Horizon Tower – Amity Wireless Communications Facility Monopine 2 Narrative Horizon Tower ‘Amity’ Monopine Wireless Communication Facility A Proposal Submitted to the City of Meridian Prepared for: Horizon Tower Verizon Wireless Prepared by: 408 S Eagle Rd, Ste. 200 Eagle, ID 83616 Contents Description of Project ......................................................................................................... 2 Description of current and proposed uses ........................................................................... 2 Response to 11-4-3-43: Wireless Communication Facilities Approval Criteria ................ 2 Response to 11-5B-6: Conditional Uses: ............................................................................ 8 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 12 Horizon Tower – Amity Wireless Communications Facility Monopine 2 Description of Project With the Treasure Valley being one of the fastest growing regions in the US, there has been an increased network demand for cellular service. As illustrated in the enclosed drawings, the proposed 100’ monopine will support panel antennas, and new ground mounted equipment will be located within a fenced enclosure. Additional space on the monopine is available to accommodate additional wireless carriers as needed for future collocation opportunities. The new wireless facility will add to Verizon Wireless’ existing network and provide improved services to customers and improved calling/data capacity, thereby improving overall system performance. Verizon Wireless and Horizon Tower is committed to providing the latest in quality wireless services to the City of Meridian and the surrounding area for years to come. Description of current and proposed uses The proposed location of this development in the R-8 (Medium-density residential district) zoning district, is allowed with a Conditional Use Permit (Title 11-4-3-43 C. 5. a. City of Meridian Unified Development Code Chapter 4 Specific Use Standards). The proposed facility will be located near the corner southeast of S. Eagle Road and Amity Road, on a lot shared with a single-family residence and farm field. Because maintenance visits occur approximately once a month, there will be virtually no transportation impact to the surrounding area. Response to 11-4-3-43: Wireless Communication Facilities Approval Criteria All responses by Powder River Development Services (applicant) are in bold. 11-4-3-43: WIRELESS COMMUNICATION FACILITY: A. Purpose: The purpose of this section is to accommodate the communications needs of the city of Meridian's residents and businesses while at the same time protecting the safety, aesthetic appeal and general welfare of the community. Furthermore, it is the purpose of this section to regulate the impact of communication towers within the city limits and to provide for the wireless communication needs of the public. The intent of this section is to: 1. Facilitate the provision of wireless telecommunication services to the residents and businesses of the city of Meridian. 2. Minimize the adverse visual effects of communication towers and other similar structures through careful design standards. 3. Avoid potential damage to adjacent properties from the structural failure of towers and other such structures through structural standards and setback requirements. 4. Require the collocation of new wireless communication equipment, when possible, in order to reduce the number of towers required to serve the city. 5. Encourage the location of wireless communication facilities in nonresidential districts and/or districts where nonresidential uses are allowed. Horizon Tower – Amity Wireless Communications Facility Monopine 3 6. Encourage the construction of stealth communication towers which are compatible with their surroundings and do not detract from the overall visual quality of the city. B. Applicability: The following provisions shall apply to any construction, installation, addition to or increase in the height of any wireless communication tower. C. Process: The process for wireless communication facilities is dependent upon standards as set forth in this section and the district in which the facility is located. 1. All proposed communication towers shall be designed (structurally and electrically) to accommodate the applicant's antennas as well as collocation for at least one additional user. Response: The 100’ monopine will accommodate future collocations for multiple carriers using a stealth design. 2. A proposal for a new commercial communication tower shall not be approved unless the decision making body finds that the telecommunications equipment planned for the proposed tower cannot be accommodated on an existing or approved structure and/or tower. Response: Based on the design criteria for selecting wireless facilities, Verizon Wireless’ radio frequency engineers first develop a “Search Area” that identifies the geographic area where the site must be located in order to provide additional network capacity service. The location of the search area is based on radio frequency coverage objectives including, usage patterns, topography and other technical factors. There are no existing towers or structures within the geographic area capable of meeting the proposed facility’s requirements. The search area size is very important to maintain adequate separation from Verizon Wireless’ existing sites in their network. There is very little flexibility for the location of new facilities in the network because of the very low powered transmitters, which cover a relatively small geographic area, and the limitations of locating within Verizon Wireless’ existing dense urban network of sites. The location of the search area is based on radio frequency coverage objectives, usage patterns, the location of adjacent Verizon Wireless facilities, topography and other technical factors. The Propagation Study maps in conjunction with the ‘Location in Relation to Existing Sites’ map illustrate the geographic area where the proposed site must be located to provide its service. Due to the close proximity of existing Verizon Wireless sites to the north, south, east, and west, the proposed site would interfere with one or more of Verizon Wireless’ neighboring sites, and leave a gap in service if it were located outside of the search area. Interference could result in poor network quality, dropped calls, coverage gaps, fast busy signal and inability to initiate calls or access data. The proposed site location has been identified within the prescribed search area. As stated in the enclosed Propagation Maps, Verizon Wireless needs a new wireless communication facility at this location to improve network capacity and offload demand from their existing network serving the area. Horizon Tower – Amity Wireless Communications Facility Monopine 4 3. It shall be the burden of the applicant to demonstrate the proposed tower or antenna cannot be accommodated on an existing or approved tower or structure. One or more of the following documentation shall be provided as proof that the new tower is necessary: Response: See enclosed ‘Amity Cell Tower: Location in Relation to Existing Sites’ map demonstrating no other existing cell towers within 1 mile are suitable to accommodate the needed equipment to provide coverage. Again, there are no existing towers or structures within the geographic area capable of meeting the proposed facility’s requirements. a. Unwillingness of other tower or facility owners to entertain shared use. Response: No viable existing towers in area to accommodate a collocation of equipment. b. The proposed collocation of an existing tower or facility would be in violation of any state or federal law. Response: No viable existing towers in area to accommodate a collocation of equipment. c. The planned equipment would exceed the structural capacity of existing towers, as documented by a qualified and licensed structural engineer. Response: No viable existing towers in area to accommodate a collocation of equipment. d. The planned equipment would cause interference, materially impacting the usability of other existing or planned equipment on the tower as documented by a qualified and licensed engineer. Response: No viable existing towers in area to accommodate a collocation of equipment. e. Existing or approved towers cannot accommodate the planned equipment at a height necessary to function reasonably as documented by a qualified radio frequency engineer. Response: No viable existing towers in area to accommodate a collocation of equipment. 4. N/A. New tower build. 5. Stealth tower facilities shall meet the following standards: a. Stealth towers in residential districts with allowed nonresidential uses shall require conditional use permit approval. In all other districts, stealth towers shall be deemed a principally permitted use and shall require a certificate of zoning compliance prior to installation. Horizon Tower – Amity Wireless Communications Facility Monopine 5 Response: The property for the proposed stealth monopine WCF is zoned R-8. b. Facilities shall meet the setbacks of the zoning district, except for facilities on a property abutting a residential use or a public right of way shall be set back a distance equal to the height of the tower. Response: Immediately north is a parcel for the Idaho Power electric substation. There are single-family residences to the south of the subject parcel. There will be future single-family properties zoned residential to the North across the street of Amity Road. The monopine tower will be a total height of 100’. The tower will be setback approximately 911’ from the neighboring residential properties to the south. c. Any facilities not meeting these standards shall require approval of a conditional use permit, in addition to any other necessary permits. Response: The facility proposed exceeds the stealth tower facility standards set forth by the City of Meridian. Therefore, a Conditional Use Permit is required. 6 - 10. N/A D. Required Documentation: The applicant shall provide the following documentation with the request for approval of a wireless communication facility: 1. For all wireless communication facilities, a letter of intent committing the tower owner and his, her or its successors to allow the shared use of the tower, as required by this section, if an additional user agrees in writing to meet reasonable terms and conditions for shared use. Response: Letter of Intent attached with this application. 2. Propagation charts showing existing and proposed transmission coverage at the subject site and within an area large enough to provide an understanding of why the facility needs to be in the chosen location. Response: Propagation charts and RF study attached to application. 3. A statement regarding compliance with regulations administered and enforced by the federal communications commission (FCC) and/or the federal aviation administration (FAA). Response: FCC /FAA compliance letter attached. E. Design Standards: All new communications towers shall meet the following minimum design standards: 1. All towers shall be designed to be architecturally compatible with the surrounding buildings and land uses in the zoning district, or otherwise integrated to blend in with existing characteristics of the site. Response: Many design amenities will be included into the design to promote the appearance of the proposed facility and help blend the tower facility to the natural Horizon Tower – Amity Wireless Communications Facility Monopine 6 and built environment. Although visible, the monopine is a passive object in a large viewshed. In an effort to limit visual impacts, Horizon Tower has selected a site which will be located within a future storage facility. The stealth nature on the monopine design is the most appropriate design at this location. The monopine will blend in with the existing vegetation in the area. Additionally, by locating the facility with a setback of approximately 150 feet from South Eagle Road, potential views of the monopine will be less significant because the monopine occupies a smaller portion of the view. Where visible, the significance of views of the facility will vary inversely with distance from the site. That is, the farther away the viewer, the less significant the monopine, because it occupies a smaller portion of the person’s view as that person moves farther from the site. The proposed monopine design utilizes a low profile design to achieve the height requirements of the proposed facility. The monopine has slim silhouette and footprint compared to more massive alternates, such as a lattice towers with their many cross members and large footprint, and guy towers with their many guy wires radiating out from the tower. When viewed from the surrounding areas, the proposed monopine will blend with the surrounding vegetation. 2. The facility shall be painted a neutral, nonreflective color that will blend with the surrounding landscape. Recommended shades are gray, beige, sand, taupe, or light brown. All metal shall be corrosive resistant or treated to prevent corrosion. Response: The proposed monopine structure will be stealth in design and blend in with existing vegetation in the area, greatly reducing visual impact. 3. All new communication tower facilities shall be of stealth or monopole design, unless the decision making body determines that an alternative design would be appropriate because of location or necessity. Response: Stealth monopine proposed. 4. No part of any antenna, disk, array or other such item attached to a communications tower shall be permitted to overhang any part of the right of way or property line. Response: All ground equipment and structures of the WCF will be contained in a 20’ X 70’ lease area served by an access/utility easement 5. The facility shall not be allowed within any required street landscape buffer. Response: The proposed project is in a farm field to the rear of an existing electric distribution center. 6. All new communication tower facility structures require administrative design review approval, in addition to any other necessary permits. Structures contained within an underground vault are exempt from this standard. Response: Design Review Checklist, Architectural Standards Design Review Checklist included. Horizon Tower – Amity Wireless Communications Facility Monopine 7 7. Any equipment at ground level shall be screened by a sight obscuring fence or structure. Response: The proposed compound will be screened by a fence. 8. All tower facilities shall include a landscape buffer. The buffer shall consist of a landscape strip of at least five feet (5') wide outside the perimeter of the compound. A minimum of fifty percent (50%) of the plant material shall be of an evergreen variety. In locations where the visual impact of the tower is minimal, the applicant may request a reduction to these standards through the alternative compliance process in accord with chapter 5, "Administration", of this title. Response: There is currently a 35’ wide landscape buffer immediately north of the proposed cell tower project site for the existing Idaho Power electric substation. Landscape buffers to the east and west sides of the compound will not be necessary as a future storage facility is proposed surrounding the project site. A buffer on the south side of the project site is not feasible as this needs to be open for easement access for maintenance visits. 9. All climbing pegs within the bottom twenty feet (20') of the tower shall be removed except when the tower is being serviced. Response: The tower is stealth design to resemble a pine tree and will not have climbing pegs exposed within the bottom 20’ of the tower. F. Abandoned Or Unused Towers Or Portions Of Towers: All abandoned or unused towers and associated facilities shall be required to be removed within sixty (60) days of cessation of use as a wireless communication facility, unless a time extension is granted by the City Council. A copy of the relevant portions of a signed lease, which requires the applicant to remove the tower and associated facilities upon cessation of the use as a wireless communication facility, shall be submitted at the time of application and resubmitted upon renewal or termination. In the event that the tower and associated facilities are not removed within the sixty (60) days, the tower and associated facilities may be removed by the City and the costs of removal assessed against the real property. Response: Upon expiration or termination hereof, Lessee shall restore the Premises to the condition in which it existed upon execution hereof, reasonable wear and tear and loss by casualty or other causes beyond Lessee’s control excepted. Horizon Tower – Amity Wireless Communications Facility Monopine 8 Response to 11-5B-6: Conditional Uses: A. Purpose: The purpose of this section is to establish procedures that allow for a particular use on a particular property subject to specific terms and conditions of approval. (Ord. 05-1170, 8-30-2005, eff. 9-15-2005) B. Applicability: The provisions of this section shall apply to: Response: Refer to Title 11-4-3-43 C. 5. a.: City of Meridian Unified Development Code Chapter 4 Specific Use Standards a. Stealth towers in residential districts with allowed nonresidential uses shall require conditional use permit approval. C. Process: 1. The applicant shall complete a preapplication conference with the Director prior to submittal of an application for a conditional use. Response: A pre-application meeting was held on June 8, 2018. 2. An application and fees, in accord with article A, "General Provisions", of this chapter, shall be submitted to the Director on forms provided by the Planning Department. Response: CUP fees in the amount of $1,369 included. 3. The Director may require additional information concerning the social, economic, fiscal or environmental effects of the proposed conditional use. Response: The information provided in this application addresses the social, economic, fiscal and environmental effects of the proposed conditional use. The wireless telecommunications facility will provide greater wireless coverage to residents, providing a necessary, reliable social service that users depend upon for communication. A majority of households no longer possess a landline for telephone services and rely on cellular service for 911 services and communication with family and friends. Reliable cellular coverage used for voice and data services is obligatory for the City of Meridian’s economic business activities. Fiscally, the City of Meridian is not required to provide many services to serve the use of the compound, as the facility is unmanned. Telco, fiber and power are the only services required. There will be no adverse environmental effects associated with the proposed project. There are no activities associated with the site that will produce odor, vibration, heat, glare, radioactive materials, or noxious and toxic material. All equipment and materials needed to operate the site will be located within the proposed fenced area at the base of the existing support structure. Since the facility does not have water or sanitary facilities it will generate no wastewater. An insignificant amount of vehicle trips will be generated from the establishment of the use since the only visits required are for monthly maintenance. Horizon Tower – Amity Wireless Communications Facility Monopine 9 D. Standards: In approving any conditional use, the decision making body may prescribe appropriate conditions, bonds and safeguards in conformity with this title that: 1. Minimize adverse impact of the use on other property. Response: The wireless telecommunication facility use will not adversely impact the electric substation facility run by Idaho Power immediately north of the project site. The future storage facility use that will eventually surround the project site will be compatible with the cell tower. The stealth monopine design of the cell tower will reduce the visual impact on the surrounding residential and future residential properties in the neighborhood. 2. Control the sequence and timing of the use. Response: The wireless telecommunication facility is an unmanned use. The only times the facility will generate trips are for monthly and sporadic maintenance visits. Therefore, no controls for the sequence or timing of use are necessary for this application. 3. Control the duration of the use. Response: In accordance with 11-4-3-43: F. Abandoned Or Unused Towers Or Portions Of Towers – it is agreed that the facility will be removed within 60 days upon cessation of use. Upon expiration or termination hereof, Lessee shall restore the Premises to the condition in which it existed upon execution hereof, reasonable wear and tear and loss by casualty or other causes beyond Lessee’s control excepted. 4. Assure that the use and the property in which the use is located is maintained properly. Response: The lease agreement with the property owner ensures the facility will be maintained to ensure compliance with City of Meridian property code regulations. 5. Designate the exact location and nature of the use and the property development. Response: The site plan and survey included with this application specify the exact location and legal description where the project will be constructed. 6. Require the provision for on site or off site public facilities or services. Response: The use of the wireless telecommunications facility is unmanned. Therefore, no additional facilities other than telco, fiber and power are required to be included in the site plan. 7. Require more restrictive standards than those generally required in this title. Response: The provisions set forth in Title 11-4-3-43 will be more than sufficient to ensure the wireless telecommunications facility blends with the surrounding Horizon Tower – Amity Wireless Communications Facility Monopine 10 neighborhood and provides wireless coverage with the least amount of visual impact using a stealth monopine design. 8. Require mitigation of adverse impacts of the proposed development upon service delivery by any political subdivision, including school districts, that provides services within the city. Response: The unmanned occupancy of the facility will not adversely impact the service delivery of political subdivisions, such as school districts, that provide services within the city. E. Findings: The commission shall base its determination on the conditional use permit request upon the following: 1. That the site is large enough to accommodate the proposed use and meet all the dimensional and development regulations in the district in which the use is located. Response: The compound plan includes ground equipment space for (4) carriers within the proposed compound area to allow for collocation. Furthermore, the 100’ monopine has room for (4) antenna arrays. Verizon will be the first of several carriers to collocate on the tower. Collocation helps reduce the visual impact of cell towers as one facility can house multiple wireless tenants versus having multiple towers for individual carriers in one neighborhood or small geographic area. The tower will easily accommodate collocations using a stealth design to ensure reduction of adverse visual impacts in the neighborhood. 2. That the proposed use will be harmonious with the Meridian comprehensive plan and in accord with the requirements of this title. Response: The proposed wireless communication tower facility is not in conflict with the comprehensive plan, and will support the balanced development of the surrounding area with reliable wireless services. Furthermore, the stealth monopine design will fit the aesthetics of the residential character of the neighborhood. 3. That the design, construction, operation and maintenance will be compatible with other uses in the general neighborhood and with the existing or intended character of the general vicinity and that such use will not adversely change the essential character of the same area. Response: The proposed wireless communications facility is appropriate to the location and compatible with the uses permitted in the zoning district. As demonstrated on the ‘Amity Cell Tower: Location in Relation to Existing Sites’ Map, the proposed cell tower is strategically located no less than 1 mile from existing cell towers in the area. The subject property is large enough to accommodate the use, and the passive, unoccupied use typically only generates an average of one vehicle trip a month for maintenance, much less than other uses allowed in the R-8 zone. Its only interaction with other uses in the area is providing reliable wireless telecommunication services to customers in the area. Horizon Tower – Amity Wireless Communications Facility Monopine 11 4. That the proposed use, if it complies with all conditions of the approval imposed, will not adversely affect other property in the vicinity. Response: the proposed wireless telecommunications facility will be immediately adjacent to an existing Idaho Power electrical substation and a future storage facility. These uses are perfectly suited to compliment the proposed wireless telecommunications facility. Furthermore, the stealth monopine will blend in with the existing vegetation and be visually pleasing when viewed from the existing and future residential properties in the area. 5. That the proposed use will be served adequately by essential public facilities and services such as highways, streets, schools, parks, police and fire protection, drainage structures, refuse disposal, water, and sewer. Response: The use of the wireless telecommunications facility is unmanned. Therefore, no additional facilities other than telco, fiber and power are required. The access driveway will accommodate fire trucks in the event of an emergency. 6. That the proposed use will not create excessive additional costs for public facilities and services and will not be detrimental to the economic welfare of the community. Response: The unmanned occupancy will not create excessive additional costs for public facilities and services. The wireless telecommunications facility will not be detrimental to the economic welfare of the community. The stealth monopine design will not negatively impact the residential values of homes in the area. 7. That the proposed use will not involve activities or processes, materials, equipment and conditions of operation that will be detrimental to any persons, property or the general welfare by reason of excessive production of traffic, noise, smoke, fumes, glare or odors. Response: There are no activities associated with the site that will produce odor, vibration, heat, glare, radioactive materials, or noxious and toxic material. All equipment and materials needed to operate the site will be located within the proposed fenced area at the base of the existing support structure. Since the facility does not have water or sanitary facilities it will generate no wastewater. The unmanned occupancy will generate a very limited amount of vehicle trips for maintenance, much less so than any other R-8 zoning district uses. 8. That the proposed use will not result in the destruction, loss or damage of a natural, scenic or historic feature considered to be of major importance. (Ord. 05-1170, 8-30-2005, eff. 9-15- 2005) Response: The stealth monopine will blend in with the natural and scenic views in the area. 9. Additional findings for the alteration or extension of a nonconforming use: Horizon Tower – Amity Wireless Communications Facility Monopine 12 N/A Conclusion Considering the foregoing analysis and findings, the applicant requests approval of this proposed Conditional Use Permit application. The application meets all applicable criteria for approval.