TO: Chair Wastchak and Planning Commission Members
FROM: Kevin Burke, Town Manager
DATE: July 25, 2017
DEPARTMENT: Town Manager
Staff Contact Kevin Burke, 480-348-3690
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AGENDA TITLE:
Title
Public Hearing and Action upon Ordinance 2017-05 Regarding an Administrative Review of Small Cell Wireless Facilities
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Council Goals or Other Policies / Statutory Requirements:
Responsiveness to Residents - Identify and consider resident concerns in a timely manner and seek solutions to the best of the Town's ability - Cell Service.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
The purpose of the revision is first and foremost to come into compliance with the new State statute in terms of objective design standards, undergrounding, stealth and concealment, and timely processing of small wireless facilities applications. In short, the Council has directed that the objective design standard for "new small cells in the right-of-way" model the New Path/Crown Castle faux cactus. Second, the Council has directed that "small cell antennas attached to existing utility poles in the ROW" model the antenna on the southwest traffic signal post of 56th Street and Lincoln Drive.
To that end, Town Attorney Andrew Miller drafted an ordinance amendment. That amendment was presented at the June 20 and July 11, 2017 Planning Commission meetings. The draft ordinance placed the review process in Chapter 2 of the Town Code to make this an administrative process rather than a zoning process depending upon the compatibility of the proposed small wireless facility (SWF) to the objective design standards. If an applicant choses a design other than the objective design standard, they may pursue such an SWF through Chapter 11 of the Zoning Ordinance. That is considered a zoning amendment which necessitates that this ordinance be reviewed and approved by the Planning Commission consistent with the process outlined in the Town Code.
During the July 11, 2017 Citizen Review and second study ses...
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