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HomeMy WebLinkAbout3.5f Item 3.5 7 TOWN OF LOS ALTOS HILLS January 7, 2010 Staff Report to the Planning Commission RE: CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT RENEWAL AND MODIFICATION FOR AN EXISTING/PREVIOUSLY APPROVED WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS FACILITY. LANDS OF CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (APPLICANT: VERIZON WIRELESS); 2350 OLD PAGE MILL ROAD; FILE # 133 -09 -CUP FROM: Nicole Horvitz, Assistant Planner APPROVED BY: Debbie Pedro, AICP, Planning DirectoV RECOMMENDATION: That the Planning Commission: Forward a recommendation to the City Council to approve the requested modification and renewal of the Conditional Use Permit from 5 years to 10 years in compliance with Government Code Section 65964(b), subject to the conditions in Attachment 1. BACKGROUND On February 5, 1997 the City Council approved the installation of three wireless communications facilities: Pacific Bell Mobile Services (now T -Mobile), Cellular One (now AT&T), and Sprint Spectrum (now Sprint PCS) on a 63' tall monopole located at the Caltrans maintenance yard located at 2350 Page Mill Road. GTE Mobile Communications (now Verizon Wireless) was approved to co -locate on the monopole on October 21, 1998 and Metro PCS was approved on January 10, 2002. As part of this Use Permit renewal, the applicant is requesting to replace four (4) existing antennas on the facility with six (6) new antennas to improve the overall Verizon network. (Attachment 2) DISCUSSION The existing wireless communications facility consists of a 63' tall steel monopole at the south end of the Caltrans property. Four (4) Verizon flush mounted panel antennas (6' h x 1' w) are currently mounted on the pole at 41' from grade. The applicant is proposing to replace the existing antennas with six (6) panel antennas (48"h x 13"w x 7.1"d) which will extend 3' away from monopole. New coax cable will also be installed inside the pole to connect to the existing ground equipment. Staff Report to the Planning Commission Lands of Caltrans (Verizon Wireless) January 7, 2010 Page 2 of 5 Condition of approval #3 from the original conditions required that the monopole be painted to the satisfaction of the Planning Director prior to final inspection. It appears that the pole needs to be repainted to a darker color to blend in with the surrounding landscaping. The applicant has agreed to paint the monopole and antennas in a color that would be acceptable to the Town. In order to have all the antennas on the pole match in color, staff recommends condition of approval #4 requesting that the applicant contact all co -located wireless carriers on the monopole and coordinate painting all of the antennas with the same color. The applicant has agreed to install one (1)-36" box evergreen tree with a minimum height of 10' at installation along Old Page Mill Road to help screen the view of the monopole from off site. (Condition of approval 94) Pursuant to Government Code Section 65964 (b) the duration of time for any permit renewal for a wireless telecommunications facility shall be a minimum of 10 years (currently 5 years). Staff has amended condition of approval # 2 in Attachment 1 to comply with State Law. Wireless Communications Facilities Policy The facility is consistent with the Town's Wireless Communications Facilities Policy. This is a non-residential site, a co -location project, and visual impacts are minimized by the location of the antennas and the extensive landscape screening shielding the view of facility from residential properties in the vicinity of the site. The Policy requires that a 3-5 year Master Plan be included with the application. A 3-5 year Master Plan showing existing Verizon facilities and the coverage in the Los Altos Hills and Los Altos areas is included as Attachment 4. CONCLUSION The facility is operating in compliance with conditions of the approved Conditional Use Permit and the Wireless Communications Facilities Policy. The applicant has submitted a radio frequency (RF) emissions report demonstrating that the proposed facility will operate within federal RF emissions standards and guidelines. (Attachment 3) Extension of the Use Permit will allow continued operation of the facility for an additional ten (10) years at which time subsequent Planning Commission/City Council review will be required. c S ? Staff Report to the Planning Conunission Lands of Caltrans (Verizon Wireless) January 7, 2010 Page 3 of 5 CEQA STATUS The proposed application is exempt from California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15301(a) of the CEQA Guidelines. ATTACHMENTS 1. Original Conditions of Approval (January 10, 1997) with Amended Conditions # 2, 4 & 5 2. Applicant's Statement Requesting Permit Renewal 3. Radio Frequency emissions report by Hammett & Edison, Inc. dated July 24, 2009 4. Verizon 3-5 Year Antenna Master Plan 5. Photo Simulations 6. Wireless Communications Facilities Policy 7. Site Development Plan Staff Report to the Planning Commission Lands of Caltrans (Verizon Wireless) January 7, 2010 Page 4 of 5 ATTACHMENT 1 CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR A WIRELESS COMMUNICATIONS FACILITY LANDS OF CALIFORNIA DEPT. OF TRANSPORTATION (VERIZON) 2350 PAGE MILL ROAD; FILE # 133 -09 -CUP PLANNING DEPARTMENT: 1. Any changes or revisions to the telecommunications facility or its use shall require an amendment to the applicable conditional use permit(s). Additionally, the Planning Director may schedule a review or revocation hearing before the Planning Commission regarding the use permit, if any condition of approval is not being met or the facility is being used inconsistent with the approved use or in violation of Town development codes. 2. The use permit shall expire five 5) ten (10) years from the date of approval. Renewal of the permit must be requested in writing, with appropriate fees, prior to the expiration date. 3. The monopole shall be painted to the satisfaction of the Planning Director, prior to final inspection of the facility. The equipment units/shelters shall be painted a color, to be determined by the Planning Department, to blend with the surrounding environment prior to final inspection of the facility. 4. The applicant shall contact all co -located wireless carriers on the monopole, in an effort to coordinate painting all the antennas on the monopole the same color. 5. The applicant shall install one (1) - 36" box evergreen tree, with a minimum height of 10' at installation to provide screening along Old Page Mill Road prior to final inspection. The species and location of tree shall be approved by the Planning Director prior to installation. 6. The applicant shall submit a signed agreement to the Town, agreeing that, should the use be discontinued by the carrier, all facilities will be removed not later then 90 days after discontinuance of the use or abandonment. The agreement shall be drafted by the City Attorney, and must be signed by the applicant and submitted to the Town prior to acceptance of plans for building plan check. Staff Report to the Planning Commission Lands of Caltrans (Verizon Wireless) January 7, 2010 Page 5 of 5 7. Not later then 30 days after installation and initial operation of the antenna facility, and on or prior to January 1St of each year thereafter, testing of radio frequency emissions shall be conducted by qualified professionals and the reports of such testing shall be provided in writing to the Planning Department, with comparison of applicable Federal emissions standards. If at any time the emission levels are shown not to comply with Federal standards, the use permit shall be scheduled for a revocation hearing before the Planning Commission. ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT: 8. Any, and all, changes to the proposed Site Plan shall first be approved by the Town Engineering Department. 9. Any, and all, areas on the project site that have the native material disturbed shall be protected for erosion control during the rainy season and shall be replanted Prior to final inspection. 10. The applicant shall inform the Town of any damage and shall repair any damage caused by the construction of the project to pathways, private driveways, and public and private roadways, prior to final inspection and shall provide the Town with photographs of the existing conditions of the roadways and pathways prior to acceptance of plans for building plan check. CONDITION NUMBERS 6 and 9 SHALL BE COMPLETED AND SIGNED OFF BY THE PLANNING DEPARTMENT AND THE ENGINEERING DEPARTMENT PRIOR TO ACCEPTANCE OF CONSTRUCTION PLANS FOR PLAN CHECK BY THE BUILDING DEPARTMENT. Attaclunent 2 R. w4U L (,u 2 c 009 TOM OF 1 S I L1� C 0-W'N .�=�'� INTERNATIONAL Proiect Description Nature of Request Crown Castle of behalf of Verizon Wireless seeks approval of a Conditional Use Permit, and maintain our facility by removing and replacing (4) panel antennas and adding (2) additional panel antennas for a total of (6) new antennas. Verizon Wireless also proposes to add (10) new coax lines to be housed within the existing monopole. Property Description The subject property is located at 2350 Page Mill Rd Los Altos Hills, Ca 94022. The property is located within the jurisdiction of the town of Los Altos Hills. Proiect Description The (e) facility is a (63') sixty three foot monopole, wherein Verizon Wireless currently has (4) panel antennas at (41') forty one feet and (4) omni "whip" antennas installed at (63') sixty three feet on the monopole which is operated by Crown Castle. We are proposing to remove the (4) Omni antennas and replace our existing panel antennas with (4) new panel antennas as well as add an additional (2) panel antennas at (41') forty one feet (See page A-2) on the existing monopole. The proposed installation will not increase the overall height or diameter. The proposed coaxial cable will be housed within the existing monopole frame to mitigate any potential visual impact. The purpose of these "antennas" will be to enhance the overall Verizon network. Statement of Operations The existing Crown Castle communication facility only requires electrical services and telephone services which are readily available to the building/site. No nuisances will be generated by the proposed facility modifications, nor will the facility injure the public health, safety, morals or general welfare of the community. Verizon technology does not interfere with any other forms of communication devices whether public or private. The 814025 Crown Castle Representing Verizon Wireless additions/maintenance of this facility will actually enhance wireless communications for residents or motorists traveling by providing seamless service to numerous customers. As mentioned before, upon completion of construction, fine-tuning of the Crown Castle facility may be�necessary, meaning the site will be adjusted once or twice a month by a service technician for routine maintenance. No additional parking spaces are needed at the project site for maintenance activities. The site is entirely self -monitored and connects directly to a central office where sophisticated computers alert personnel to any equipment malfunction or breach of security. Because Crown Castle facility will be un -staffed, there will be no regular hours of operation and no impact to existing traffic patterns. An existing dirt road will provide ingress and egress allowing access to the technician who arrives infrequently to service the site. No on-site water or sanitation services will be required as a part of this proposal. Zoning Analysis The proposed equipment modification will be located on an (e) Cellular facility. Therefore, the "usage" is allowed, as we are merely "upgrading" the facility to eliminate the need for an additional cell site in the area. As mentioned above, the proposal includes the placement of electronic equipment which Crown Castle / Verizon has designed in the "least visual obtrusive manner". Compliance with Federal Regulations Crown Castle will comply with all FCC rules goveming construction requirements, technical standards, interference protection, power and height limitations, and radio frequency standards. In addition, the company will comply with all FAA rules on site location and operation. 814025 Crown Castle Representing Verizon Wireless Attachment 3 Verizon Wireless - Base Station No. 116514 "Highway 260/Pagep iLj-,0 0 2HOR Crown Castle Site No. 677182 0 2350 Page Mill Road o Los Altos Hills, California T OWU OF LOS ALTOS HILLS Statement of Hammett a Edison, Inc., Consulting Engineers The firm of Hammett & Edison, Inc., Consulting Engineers, has been retained on behalf of Verizon Wireless, a personal wireless telecommunications carrier, to evaluate proposed modifications to its existing base station (Site No. 116514 "Highway 280/Pagemill," Crown Castle No. 877182) located at 2350 Page Mill Road in Los Altos Hills, California, for compliance with appropriate guidelines limiting human exposure to radio frequency ("RF") electromagnetic fields. Prevailing Exposure Standards The U.S. Congress requires that the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") evaluate its actions for possible significant impact on the environment. In Docket 93-62, effective October 15, 1997, the FCC adopted the human exposure limits for field strength and power density recommended in Report No. 86, "Biological Effects and Exposure Criteria for Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields," published in 1986 by the Congressionally chartered National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements ("NCRP"). Separate limits apply for occupational and public exposure conditions, with the latter limits generally five times more restrictive. The more recent standard, developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and approved as American National Standard ANSI/IEEE C95.1-2006, "Safety Levels with Respect to Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields, 3 kHz to 300 GHz," includes similar exposure limits. A summary of the FCC's exposure limits is shown in Figure 1. These limits apply for continuous exposures and are intended to provide a prudent margin of safety for all persons, regardless of age, gender, size, or health. The most restrictive FCC limit for exposures of unlimited duration to radio frequency energy for several personal wireless services are as follows: Personal Wireless Service Approx. Frequency Occupational Limit Public Limit Broadband Radio (`BRS") 2,600 MHz 5.00 mW/cm2 1.00 mW/cm2 Advanced Wireless ("AWS") 2,100 5.00 1.00 Personal Communication ("PCS") 1,950 5.00 1.00 Cellular Telephone 870 2.90 0.58 Specialized Mobile Radio ("SMR") 855 2.85 0.57 Long Term Evolution ("LTE") 700 2.33 0.47 [most restrictive frequency range] 30-300 1.00 0.20 General Facility Requirements Base stations typically consist of two distinct parts: the electronic transceivers (also called "radios" or "channels") that are connected to the traditional wired telephone lines, and the passive antennas that send the wireless signals created by the radios out to be received by individual subscriber units. The HAmmETT & EDISON, INC. VW9999500 i CONSULTING ENGINEERS SAN FRANCISCO Page 1 of 11 Verizon Wireless • Base Station No: 116514 "Highway 280/Pagemill" Crown Castle Site No. 877182 2350 Page Mill Road • Los Altos Hills, California transceivers are often located at ground level and are connected to the antennas by coaxial cables about 1 inch thick. Because of the short wavelength of the frequencies assigned by the FCC for wireless services, the antennas require line -of -sight paths for their signals to propagate well and so are installed at some height above ground. The antennas are designed to concentrate their energy toward the horizon, with very little energy wasted toward the sky or the ground. Along with the low power of such facilities, this means that it is generally not possible for exposure conditions to approach the maximum permissible exposure limits without being physically very near the antennas. Computer Modeling Method The FCC provides direction for determining compliance in its Office of Engineering and Technology Bulletin No. 65, `Evaluating Compliance with FCC -Specified Guidelines for Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Radiation," dated August 1997. Figure 2 attached describes the calculation methodologies, reflecting the facts that a directional antenna's radiation pattern is not fully formed at locations very close by (the "near -field" effect) and that at greater distances the power level from an energy source decreases with the square of the distance from it (the "inverse square law"). The conservative nature of this method for evaluating exposure conditions has been verified by numerous field tests. Site and Facility Description Based upon information provided by Verizon, including zoning drawings by Smithco, dated May 21, 2009, that carrier presently has installed six Andrew directional panel antennas on a 63 -foot pole located at 2350 Page Mill Road in Los Altos Hills. It is proposed to retain those antennas, three each of Models 932LG65VTE-M and 854DG85VTEXY for PCS and cellular service, respectively, and install three Andrew Model LNX-6512DS-T4M antennas for LTE service.. The antennas would be mounted, with up to 11° downtilt, at an effective height.of about 41 feet above ground and would be oriented in groups of three (one of each model) toward 30°T, 160°T, and 270°T. The maximum effective radiated power in any direction would be 2,040 watts, representing simultaneous operation at 640 watts for PCS, 1,000 watts for cellular service, and 400 watts for LTE service. Presently installed on the same pole are similar panel antennas for use by Metro, T -Mobile, and Sprint Nextel, as well as omnidirectional antennas for use by AT&T, all wireless telecommunications carriers. For the limited purposes of this study, transmitting facilities for those carriers are assumed to be as follows: HAMMETT & EDISON, INC. CONSUMNG ENGINEERS V W 9999500 SAN FRANCISCO Page 2 of 4 Verizon Wireless • Base Station No. 116514 "Highway 230/Pagemill" Crown Castle Site No. 377132 -2350 Page Mill Road • Los Altos Hills, California Carrier Service Maximum ERP Antenna Model Height AT&T Cellular 1,500 watts Decibel DB806 67 ft Metro PCS 1,890 Kathrein 742-213 58 T -Mobile PCS 1,0001 AWS 1,000 fS APXI6DWV 49 Sprint Nextel PCS 1,500 EMS RR9017 32 SMR 1,500 Andrew DB844G65 32 Study Results For a person anywhere at ground, the maximum ambient RF exposure level due to the Verizon operation by itself is calculated to be 0.027 mW/cm2, which is 5.0% of the applicable public limit. The maximum calculated cumulative level at ground, for the simultaneous operation of all five carriers, is 8.2% of the public limit. The maximum calculated cumulative level at the second -floor elevation of any nearby building would be 18% of the public exposure limit. It should be noted that these results include several "worst-case" assumptions and therefore are expected to overstate actual power density levels. Recommended Mitigation Measures Due to their mounting locations, the Verizon antennas are not accessible to the general public, and so no mitigation measures are necessary to comply with the FCC public exposure guidelines It is presumed that all the carriers will, as FCC licensees, take adequate steps to ensure that their employees or contractors comply with FCC occupational exposure guidelines whenever work is required near the antennas themselves. Conclusion Based on the information and analysis above, it is the undersigned's professional opinion that the Verizon Wireless base station located at 2350 Page Mill Road in Los Altos Hills, California, will comply with the prevailing standards for limiting public exposure to radio frequency energy and, therefore, will not for this reason cause a significant impact on the environment. The highest calculated level in publicly accessible areas is much less than the prevailing standards allow for exposures of unlimited duration. This finding is consistent with measurements of actual exposure conditions taken at other operating base stations. HAMMETT & EDISON, INC. CONSULTING ENGINEERS VW9999500 SAN FRANCISCO Page 3 of 4 Verizon Wireless - Base Station No. 116514 "Highway 280/Pagemill" Crown Castle Site No. 877182.2350 Page Mill Road • Los Altos Hills, California Authorship The undersigned author of this statement is a qualified Professional Engineer, holding California Registration No. E-18063, which expires on June 30, 2011. This work has been carried out by him or under his direction, and all statements are true and correct of his own knowledge except, where noted, when data has been supplied by others, which data he believes to be correct. QRpF ESSlpNq MAIN `el ,', No. E-18063 � raj at Mathur, P.E. July 24, 2009 a Exp.6-3D-2011 �T F�FCTR��P�. qTF OF CAG\F�¢ HAMMETT & EDISON, INC. CONSULTING ENGINEERS VW9999500 SAN FRANCISCO Page 4 of 4 FCC Radio Frequency Protection Guide The U.S. Congress required (1996 Telecom Act) the Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") to adopt a nationwide human exposure standard to ensure that its licensees do not, cumulatively, have a significant impact on the -environment. The FCC adopted the limits from Report No. 86, "Biological Effects and Exposure Criteria for Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Fields," published in 1986 by the Congressionally chartered National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements ("NCRP"). Separate limits apply for occupational and public exposure conditions, with the latter limits generally five times more restrictive. The more recent standard, developed by the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and approved as American National Standard ANSMEEE C95.1-2006, "Safety Levels with Respect to Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields, 3 kHz to 300 GHz," includes similar limits. These limits apply for continuous exposures from all sources and are intended to provide a prudent margin of safety for all persons, regardless of age, gender, size, or health. As shown in the table and chart below, separate limits apply for occupational and public exposure conditions, with the latter limits (in italics and/or dashed) up to five times more restrictive: Frequency Electromagnetic Fields (f is frequency of emission in MHz) Applicable Electric Magnetic Equivalent Far -Field Range Field Strength Field Strength Power Density (MHz) (V/m) (A/m) (mW/cm2) 0.3— 1.34 614 614 1.63 1.63 100 100 1.34— 3.0 614 823.8/f 1.63 2.19/f 100 180/1 3.0— 30 1842/f 823.8/f 4.89/ f 2.19/f 900/ f2 18011- 80/j'30— 30-300 61.4 27.5 0.163 0.0729 1.0 0.2 300— 1,500 3.544f 1.59ff Tfn06 Nf1238 f/300 f/1500 1,500— 100,000 137 61.4 0.364 0.163 5.0 1.0 1000 100 10 I 0.1 Occupational Exposure ` PCS � FM `s Public Exposure 0.1 1 10 100 103 104 105 Frequency (MHz) Higher levels are allowed for short periods of time, such that total exposure levels averaged over six or thirty minutes, for occupational or public settings, respectively, do not exceed the limits, and higher levels also are allowed for exposures to small areas, such that the spatially averaged levels do not exceed the limits. However, neither of these allowances is incorporated in the conservative calculation formulas in the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology Bulletin No. 65 (August 1997) for projecting field levels. Hammett & Edison has built those formulas into a proprietary program that calculates, at each location on an arbitrary rectangular grid, the total expected power density from any number of individual radio sources. The program allows for the description of buildings and uneven terrain, if required to obtain more accurate projections. HAMMETT & EDISON, INC. CONSULTING ENGINEERS FCC Guidelines - i. SAN FRANCISCO Figure 1 RFRCALCTM Calculation Methodology Assessment by Calculation of Compliance with FCC Exposure Guidelines The U.S. Congress required (1996 Telecom Act) the Federal Communications Cominission ("FCC") to adopt a nationwide human exposure standard to ensure that its licensees do not, cumulatively, have a significant impact on the environment. The maximum permissible exposure limits adopted by the FCC (see Figure 1) apply for continuous exposures from all sources and are intended to provide a prudent margin of safety for all persons, regardless of age, gender, size, or health. Higher levels are allowed for short periods of time, such that total exposure levels averaged over six or thirty minutes, for occupational or public settings, respectively, do not exceed the limits. Near Field. Prediction methods have been developed for the near field zone of panel (directional) and whip (omnidirectional) antennas, typical at wireless telecommunications base stations, as well as dish (aperture) antennas, typically used for microwave links. The antenna patterns are not fully formed in the near field at these antennas, and the FCC Office of Engineering and Technology Bulletin No. 65 (August 1997) gives suitable formulas for calculating power density within such zones. For a panel or whip antenna, power density S = 180 x 0.1 x Pnac , in mW/cm2, OBw nxD xh and for an aperture antenna, maximum power density Smax = 0.1x16x17XP.,, nxh2 where BBW = half -power beamwidth of the antenna, in degrees, and Pnet = net power input to the antenna, in watts, D = distance from antenna, in meters, h = aperture height of the antenna, in meters, and 77 = aperture efficiency (unitless, typically 0.5-0.8). The factor of 0.1 in the numerators converts to the desired units of power density. , in mW/CM2, Far Field. OET-65 gives this formula for calculating power density in the far field of an individual RF source: 2.56 x 1.64 x 100 x RFF2 x ERP power density s = 2 in mW/cm2, 4xarxD where ERP = total ERP (all polarizations), in kilowatts, RFF = relative field factor at the direction to the actual point of calculation, and D = distance from the center of radiation to the point of calculation, in meters. The factor of 2.56 accounts for the increase in power density due to ground reflection, assuming a reflection coefficient of 1.6 (1.6 x 1.6 = 2.56). The factor of 1.64 is the gain of a half -wave dipole relative to an isotropic radiator. The factor of 100 in the numerator converts to the desired units of power density. This formula has been built into a proprietary program that calculates, at each location on an arbitrary rectangular grid, the total expected power density from any number of individual radiation sources. The program'also allows for the description of uneven terrain in the vicinity, to obtain more accurate projections. HAMMETT & EDISON, INC. ? 1 " CONSULTING ENGINEERS Methodology SAN FRANCISCO Figure 2 Attachment 5 t• • -� •d0�� lex` �`�.. �f, AWL 41WAMb �W—�—F _.._..: � /hj CRO.V N �J(/ u� Cal Trans Maintenance Yard Site # BUB77182 Aerial Map 2350 Pagemill Road 5/18/09 LOS Altos Hills, CA 94099 Applied Imagination 510 914.0500 JN05�y �"rArffxn7LmE— Cal Trans Maintenance Yard Site # BU877182 Looking South from Pagemill Road 2350 Pagemill Road 6/26/09 Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 Applied Imagination 510 914-0500 �CRO. N Cal Trans Maintenance Yard Site # BUB77182 Looking West from Pagemiil Road 2350 Pagemill Road 6/26/09 Los Altos Hills, CA 94022 Applied Imagination 510 914-0500