104-C. PC Staff Report dated 9/14/10.pdfATTACHMENT C
OFFICE OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
CITY HALL
10300 TORRE AVENUE ® CUPERTINO, CA 95014-3255
(408) 777-3308 - FAX (408) 777-3333 ® planning@cupertino.org
PLANNING COMMISSION STAFF REPORT
Agenda Item No. Agenda bate: September 14, 2010
Application: U-2010-03, EXC-2010-04, TR-2010-31
Applicant: Dave Yocke, Trillium Telecom (for AT&T Mobility)
Property Owner: ECI Two Results, LLC
Property Location: Results Way
Application Summary:
Use Permit (U-2010-03) request to allow a personal wireless service facility, consisting
of twelve panel antennas mounted on a 74-foot tall monopine and associated base
equipment located at the Results Way office park.
Height Exception (EXC-2010-04) request to allow antennas to be mounted on a
monopine at a height of 67 feet or less where 55 feet is allowed.
Tree Removal (TR-2010-31) request to allow the removal and replacement of four
Coastal Redwood trees associated with the proposed personal wireless service facility.
Staff recommends that the Commission:
1. Approve the use permit (U-2010-03) with additional design conditions per the
model resolution;
2. Approve the height exception (EXC-2010-04) per the model resolution; and
3. Approve the tree removal (TR-2010-31) per the model resolution (Attachment 1).
Property Zoning:
Allowed Height:
Height of Monopine:
Height of Antennas:
Required Setback:
Proposed Setback:
Planned Development - Light Industrial - P(ML)
55 feet
74 feet (measured from grade to foliage top)
67 feet max. (measured from grade to top of panels)
75 feet (to residentially zoned property line)
334 feet to Imperial Ave. residence
Dave Yocke (for AT&T Mobility) U-2010-03, EXC-2010-04 September 14, 2010
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246 feet to Olive Ave. residence
207 feet to Astoria townhouses
Environmental
Determination: Categorical Exemption
Proposed Project
The applicant, Dave Yocke (representing AT&T Mobility) is proposing a personal
wireless service monopine located in the westerly landscape strip of the rear parking lot
of the Results Way Office Park (see aerial diagram below). The monopine consists of
twelve panel antennas arranged in two racks of six antennas on a simulated pine tree
pole. Associated base equipments are located within a fenced enclosure near the base of
the pole. The monopine will be designed for collocation so that more antennas and base
equipment may be added by other wireless carriers in the future. Any future addition
to the monopine will require additional radio frequency energy analysis to confirm that
the cumulative emission exposures are below Federal safety limits. The project site is
surrounded by mainly office and industrial land uses. The nearest residential property
is approximately 207 feet to the north.
Dave Yocke (for AT&T Mobility) U-2010-03, EXC-2010-04 September 14, 2010
Page 3
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Previous Application
Approximately one year ago, the Planning Commission reviewed a similar application
(U-2008-03, EXC-2009-05) for a six -antenna monopine with provisions for a future
expansion or collocation. That proposal was withdrawn when AT&T changed its
applicant/contractor. The new applicant has submitted a new monopine proposal
consisting of six more antennas (a total of 12) compared with the original application.
The new monopine is located approximately 170 feet north of the original location on
the same property
Coverage Demand
In 2007, the City's Technology, Information and Communications Commission (TICC)
conducted an on-line survey of residents and workers to identify cell phone usage and
issues in the City. AT&T was found to be one of two wireless carriers to have the
widest subscription bases in Cupertino, and the Bubb Road/McClellan Road area was
identified as the # 1 problem area for lack of cell phone coverage by survey respondents.
The existing and proposed AT&T phone coverages are depicted in Attachment 2.
The Santa Clara County Sheriffs has also submitted a letter noting the importance of
improving wireless communications coverage throughout the city in order to improve
law enforcement communications and effectiveness (Attachment 3).
Site Location
The AT&T monopine is proposed in the westerly landscape strip of the office park
which has numerous tall and large trees to the south and smaller trees to the north. The
proposed location is 2.75 times the required 75-foot setback from a residentially zoned
property.
Treepole and Enclosure Appearance
The appearance of the monopine will be
comparable to modern tree pole designs,
such as the one located at 10121 Miller
Avenue, Cupertino. The tree design
includes:
® Faux bark cladding
® An artificial pine branch structure
that will resemble a tree and obscure
the antenna racks
® Pine needle covers that will obscure
the panel antenna even further (See
photosimulations, Attachment 4)
Sample actual AT&T monopine proposed
at Results Way, Cupertino
Dave Yocke (for AT&T Mobility) U-2010-03, EXC-2010-04 September 14, 2010
Page 4
Even though there are many tall, mature trees in the office park's westerly landscape
strip, the immediate project vicinity is occupied with smaller stature trees, which makes
it more challenging to blend in the project.
In order to achieve a more natural and realistic tree image and enhance the equipment
screen wall (12-foot concrete block wall), staff is recommending the following
conditions of approval:
® The needle camouflage shall be a more mottled green color, which is more natural
looking than the deep forest green color found on the Miller Avenue tree
® The top half of the monopine shall be designed with a more conical form and the
the bottom half of the tree foliage should be more dense in order to simulate the
shape of a real pine tree
® The upper six feet of the base equipment screen wall shall be clad with high
quality metal panels with a color to match the metal work in the approved office
project. Area around the enclosure shall be landscaped with shrubs to help the
monopine blend in with the existing landscaping.
Height Exception Request
The applicant is proposing a maximum height of 67 feet for the antennas and 74 feet for
the monopine, where 55 feet is allowed by the Wireless Ordinance. The extra height is
needed because the rear grade of the office park is approximately 19 feet lower than the
grade at McClellan Road. According to 19.108.100 of the City's Wireless Ordinance, an
exception may be granted by the Commission for an antenna exceeding the maximum
height limit where practical difficulties exist. According to the applicant's engineer,
given the project's unique topography, the antennas need the extra height to "see" over
the tops of the adjacent office buildings to provide phone coverage to the neighborhood
to the south. The extra pole height is also needed to allow for a potential collocation by
another wireless carrier on the same pole. Staff supports the proposed height exception
given the reasons mentioned above and the fact that the City has previously approved
similar height requests for similar reasons.
Radio Frequency E� neWj Assessment
AT&T Mobility commissioned the preparation of a radio frequency energy (RFE)
assessment (Attachment 5) to determine the projected radio emission levels and
compare them against the federal exposure safety standards (that is, PCS: 1.0 mW/cm2;
Cellular: 0.58 mW/cm2). The report concluded that the project is within the federal
safety standards for RFE exposure with estimated exposures as follows:
Dave Yocke (for AT&T Mobility) U-2010-03, EXC-2010-04 September 14, 201C
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RF Energy Exposure Context % of Maximum Permissible Exposure
Ground level (AT&T facility only) 0.62%
Ground level (AT&T & existing Sprint-Nextel) 0.75 %
Roof of Building to the west 3.2%
2nd Floor Elevation of nearest residence 0.93 %
It should be noted that per Federal law, local agencies are prohibited from regulating
such facilities on the basis of the environmental effects of RF emissions if the emissions
meet federal safety standards, such as stated above.
Alternative Site Anali Lis
Since 2005, AT&T/Cingular has sought to provide better wireless communications
coverage to the Monta Vista area with the following outcomes:
Site #
Site Location
Outcome
1
Monta Vista H.S. gymnasium
Building -mounted antennas approved by
Planning Commission in 2005. Later FUHSD
& AT&T declined to proceed with lease due to
_parent opposition.
2
Lands of Union Pacific Rail
Cingular (purchased by AT&T) was interested
Roads (UPRR) near Bubb Rd.
in a monopine proposal. Appeal of
Commission denial was withdrawn because
conflict with SCVWD easement made project
undevelo able.
3
Results Way frontage parking
Initial 2008 AT&T proposal (file no. U-2008-03)
lot near McClellan Road
rejected by staff because of lack of abutting
landscaping and visibility to McClellan Road.
4
Results Way office building
Determined to be infeasible by AT&T for lack
roof near McClellan Road
of adequate building height & accessibility by
service personnel.
5
Results Way east side of rear
Determined to be infeasible by property
parking lot near UPRR
owner. Area planned for new underground
railroad tracks.
utilities (i.e. water, sewer & storm drainage) to
serve approved, future development.
6
Results Way west side of rear
Project was continued indefinitely by the
parking lot near Imperial
Planning Commission in 2009 because of
Avenue (U-2008-03)
disagreement between property owner and
applicant. Project was later withdrawn when
applicant changed. Site is located in a utility
easement.
7
Results Way westerly rear
Current proposal
parking lot near Imperial
Dave Yocke (for AT&T Mobility) U-2010-03, EXC-2010-04 September 14, 2010
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Avenue
The above alternate sites were either reviewed at a public meeting or discussed with
staff in the context of project review. They are depicted on a map ® see Attachment 6.
The applicant has also look at other sites in the area and those are outlined in
Attachment 7.
Comments from the TICC
In accordance with the wireless communications facilities ordinance, the plans and
supporting documentation were referred to designated members of the TICC. TICC
provided the following comments (Attachment 8):
® The RF study was properly done and demonstrates that RF exposures are below
federal safety standards. (Staff notes: antennas are not proposed at 35 feet. This
is a possible collocation opportunity that still must undergo RF energy analysis
when a proposal is submitted.)
® The monopine design provides adequate camouflage for the cell tower. Its
location in an office/ industrial park will make it even less noticeable and should
not adversely impact the neighborhood.
® The facility will greatly benefit Cupertino residents as this area is known as a
major gap in AT&T's wireless coverage of Cupertino.
Public Hearing Noticing
The project property has not changed, so the public hearing noticing has been mailed to
the same property owners within 1,000-foot radius of the project property boundaries.
An earlier courtesy notice was emailed on August 24, 2010 to interested parties who
provided an email address on the former applications. Staff understands that AT&T
has sent additional noticing to its customers in the area.
Staff has received nearly forty email messages about this project. The majority of the
writers support a new AT&T cell phone tower in the Monta Vista area to improve cell
phone coverage (Attachment 9).
Tree Removal
Four (4) six inch diameter Coastal Redwoods in the westerly landscape strip are
proposed for removal as part of the project. The removal of the four redwoods is
necessary in order to facilitate the proposed monopole and associated base
equipments/enclosure. Staff recommends that the four redwoods be replaced with
three (3) new 24-inch box Coastal Redwoods planted in the northwest corner landscape
strip. Staff is also recommending that the irrigation system be rehabilitated by the
applicant to ensure that the new trees and the existing trees in this area thrive.
Dave Yocke (for AT&T Mobility) U-2010-03, EXC-2010-04 September 14, 2010
Page 7
Prepared by: Colin Jung AICP, Senior Planner
Reviewed by
,;�
yPlanner
ATTACHMENTS
Approved by
Aarti Shrivastava
Community Development Director
Attachment 1: Model resolutions for U-2010-03, EXC-2010-04, TR-2010-31
Attachment 2: Existing & Proposed Coverage Maps
Attachment 3: Santa Clara County Sheriff's letter dated June 23, 2010
Attachment 4: Photosimulations of treepole (3)
Attachment 5: Statement of Hammett & Edison, Inc.: AT&T Mobility, Proposed
Base Station (Site No. CN3242A), Results Way, Cupertino,
California dated August 20, 2010
Attachment 6:
AT&T Facility Alternate Sites Aerial Map
Attachment 7:
Alternate Site Analysis provided by applicant
Attachment 3:
Communications from TIC Commissioners
Attachment 9:
Emails from residents and workers in Cupertino
Plan Set
G:\ Planning\ PDREPORT\ 2010ureports\ U-2010-03, EXC-2010-04, TR-2010-31.doc