10-22-1997 Council Agenda - Laserfiche WebLink

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City of Little Canada Ordinance Change Proposal 29 September, 1997 just on well traveled corridors. This could result in a need for antennae in a residentially zoned area. We believe that US WEST Communications Wireless is offering to construct the most visually acceptable antennae support system of any of the present providers of the PCS network. Please take time to review the computer renderings of NSP sites around the Twin City area on which we are approved by the respective city. (See Exhibit 2) In locating our antennae sites, we prioritize the use of existing structures (i.e., rooftops, towers) to building monopoles. Pursuant to that, we have identified public utility structures (i.e., electrical transmission poles) as a pervasive grid of existing structures. Many of these are located in industrially zoned areas, but many of them are in rights -of- way, residential and commercial areas as well. We feel that attaching antennae within the architecture of an public utility structures lattice tower is an appropriate application and is visually unobtrusive due to the similarities in design. (See "Sharing Cell Sites- The Key to Success" Exhibit 3 and "Sharing the Load with Utilities" Exhibit 4). US WEST Wireless has entered into an agreement with NSP which allows us to make application and, when approved, use a tower structure for wireless antennae placement. NSP prefers our self enclosed equipment package, approximately 9.5' x 12', to be located within the leg perimeter of the respective tower, directly underneath. What remains is for cities and towns such as yours to allow this use within their ordinance. Proposed Ordinance Change Current Status Currently, the zoning ordinance of Little Canada allows commercial antennae as accessory uses. These are prohibited in R1, R2, R4, and RB. Most other zoning districts will allow antennae attachments to existing structures under the applicable zoning process. Since NSP towers could currently be located in all districts and since our grid design may fall into residentially zoned areas, we are asking that you amend your code to allow commercial antennae on public utility structures. To mitigate the proliferation of monopoles and even rooftops, and, faced with the fact that the need for more antennae sites is likely, allowing the attachment of antennae to already existing NSP structures seems an appropriate use. Several cities around the Twin City area have adopted code language which directly speaks to this. Included as attachments are samples. (see Attachments) Bloomington (Attachment 1) Bloomington has recently adopted code language which "maximizes the use of existing and approved towers and buildings to accommodate new wireless telecommunication antennae in order to reduce the number of towers needed to serve the community."' City of Bloomington, Minnesota, Selected Ordinance Provisions Pertaining to Towers Pagc4 of 16 Page 33