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HomeMy WebLinkAboutVERIZON WIRELESS FTC DRAKE CROSSING - PDP/FDP - FDP130032 - SUBMITTAL DOCUMENTS - ROUND 1 - PLANNING OBJECTIVES(11) Access Roadways. Access roads must be capable of supporting all of the emergency response equipment of the Poudre Fire Authority. • Verizon Wireless Response: No new access roads are proposed at this site. The existing access and parking lots will be undisturbed. (12) Foothills and Hogbacks. Wireless telecommunication facilities and equipment located in or near the foothills bear a special responsibility for mitigating visual disruption. If such a location is selected, the applicant shall provide computerized, three-dimensional, visual simulation of the facility or equipment and other appropriate graphics to demonstrate the visual impact on the view of the city's foothills and hogbacks. • Verizon Wireless Response: Foothills or Hogbacks are not an issue for this site. (13) Airports and Flight Paths. Wireless telecommunication facilities and equipment located near airports and flight paths shall obtain the necessary approvals from the Federal Aviation Administration. • Verizon Wireless Response: The proposed wireless telecommunication equipment is not located near an airport or flight path. (14) Historic Sites and Structures. Wireless telecommunication facilities and equipment shall not be located on any historic site or structure unless permission is first obtained from the city's Landmark Preservation Commission as required by Chapter 14 of the City Code. • Verizon Wireless Response: The subject property is not an historic site or structure. (1S). Stealth Technology: To the extent reasonably feasible, the applicant shall employ "stealth technology" so as to convert the wireless telecommunication into wireless telecommunication equipment, as the best method by which to mitigate and/or camouflage visual impacts. Stealth technology consists of, but is not limited to, the use of grain bins, silos, or elevators, church steeples, water towers, clock towers, bell towers, false penthouses or other similar "mimic" structures. Such "mimic" structures shall have a contextual relationship to the adjacent area. • Verizon Wireless Response: The proposed Verizon Wireless facility will be designed to conceal the wireless antennas inside "stealth" antenna screens fabricated to mimic the existing brick facade of the Safeway building. There will be two (2) antenna screen structures, one at each end of the Safeway roof, creating a balanced effect. screen the mechanical characteristics. A heavy emphasis on coniferous plants for year-round screening may be required. If a wireless telecommunication facility or ground -mounted wireless telecommunication equipment has frontage on a public street, street trees shall be planted along the roadway in accordance with the policies of the City Forester. • Verizon Wireless Response: A landscaping plan has been submitted with this application. Several existing shrubs and an existing pinyon pine tree will be relocated. There is an existing irrigation system that will serve the plantings. (5) Fencing. Chain link fencing shall be unacceptable to screen facilities. Fencing material shall consist of wood, masonry, stucco or other acceptable materials and be opaque. Fencing shall not exceed six (6) feet in height. • Verizon Wireless Response: No fencing is proposed. (6) Berming. Berms shall be considered as an acceptable screening device. Berms shall feature slopes that allow mowing, irrigation and maintenance. • Verizon Wireless Response: No berming is proposed. (7) Irrigation. Landscaping and berming shall be equipped with automatic irrigation systems meeting the water conservation standards of the city. Verizon Wireless Response: Landscaping proposed in this application will be served by the existing automatic irrigation system in place at this property. (8) Color. All wireless telecommunication facilities and equipment shall be painted to match as closely as possible the color and texture of the wall, building or surrounding built environment. Muted colors, earth tones and subdued colors shall be used. • Verizon Wireless Response: The facade of the Verizon Wireless equipment shelter will have the same brick as the existing Safeway building. The rooftop antenna screening structures will be fabricated of fiberglass designed to match the color and texture of the existing brick of the Safeway building. All other equipment will be painted to match the color of the brick facade. (9) Lighting. The light source for security lighting shall be high pressure sodium and feature down - directional, sharp cut-off luminaries so that there is no spillage of illumination off -site. Light fixtures, whether freestanding or tower -mounted, shall not exceed twenty-two (22) feet in height. • Verizon Wireless Response: One light is proposed at this site and it will comply with the lighting standard. Detail of the light fixture is found on Sheet A3.0. (10) Interference. Wireless telecommunication facilities and equipment shall operate in such a manner so as not to cause interference with other electronics such as radios, televisions or computers. • Verizon Wireless Response: The Verizon Wireless telecommunications site shall pose no interference issues with other electronics. (2) Wireless Telecommunication Facilities. Whether manned or unmanned, wireless telecommunication facilities shall be consistent with the architectural style of the surrounding architectural environment (planned or existing) considering exterior materials, roof form, scale, mass, color, texture and character. Such facilities shall also be compatible with the surrounding natural environment considering land forms, topography, and other natural features. If such facility is an accessory use to an existing use, the facility shall be constructed out of materials that are equal to or better than the materials of the principal use. • Verizon Wireless Response: The proposed telecommunication facilities are consistent with the architectural style of the existing Safeway building. The facade of the proposed equipment shelter will be the same brick color and texture as the existing Safeway building. It will appear to be an extension of the existing building as depicted in the photosimulation. The rooftop antenna screening structures are designed to complement the existing roof form, scale, mall, color and texture. The screening structures will be made of opaque fiberglass ("Rf-transparent") fabricated to match the color and texture of the existing brick of the Safeway building. (3) Wireless Telecommunication Equipment. Wireless telecommunication equipment shall be of the same color as the building or structure to which or on which such equipment is mounted. Whenever a wireless telecommunication antenna is attached to a building roof, the height of the antenna shall not be more than fifteen (15) feet over the height of the building. All wireless telecommunication equipment shall be located as far from the edge of the roof as possible. Even if the building is constructed at or above the building height limitations contained in Section 3.8.17, the additional fifteen (15) feet is permissible. Whenever wireless telecommunication equipment is mounted to the wall of a building or structure, the equipment shall be mounted in a configuration as flush to the wall as technically possible and shall not project above the wall on which it is mounted. Roof- and ground -mounted wireless telecommunication equipment shall be screened by parapet walls or screen walls in a manner compatible with the building's design, color and material. • Verizon Wireless Response: Roof mounted antennas will be completely screened by opaque fiberglass material fabricated to match the color and texture of the existing brick of the Safeway building. The screening structures will be compatible with the building's design, color and material. These structures will be located at the southeast and southwest comers of the building. If they were located farther from the edge of the roof, the structures would need to be more than fifteen (15) feet above the height of the building and would be less compatible with the building's design. As proposed, the screening structures are only 7'10" above the existing roof to minimize the mass. By combining 2 sets of antennas one of the screening structures, the need for a third screening structure is eliminated. (4) Landscaping. Wireless telecommunication facilities and ground -mounted wireless telecommunications equipment may need to be landscaped with landscaping materials that exceed the levels established in Section 3.2.1, due to the unique nature of such facilities. Landscaping may therefore be required to achieve a total screening effect at the base of such facilities or equipment to canister tower has three serious limitations: first, the narrow diameter restricts the number of antennas that can fit within the canister; second, antennas that do not fit at the top level of the canister must be placed at successively lower levels, limiting the range of broadcasting; and third, the narrow canister diameter limits the adjustments that are required to focus signals in the desired direction to optimize coverage. It would be physically impossible to fit the proposed eighteen (18) antennas inside a canister tower at a height sufficient for adequate operations. The Applicant appreciates the fact that the City has recognized the limitations of the canister design and understands the need to utilize the alternative "stealth" design proposed in this application. RESPONSE TO SECTION 3.8.13 — REQUIREMENTS FOR WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATION 3.8.13 Wireless Telecommunication (A) Location. Subject to the requirements of paragraph (B) of this Section, wireless telecommunication equipment may be attached to or mounted on any existing building or structure (or substantially similar replacement structure) located in any zone district of the city. Wireless telecommunication equipment shall not, however, be permitted to be attached to or mounted on any residential building containing four (4) or fewer dwelling units. • Verizon Wireless Response: The proposed design calls for a stealth antenna screening to mimic the brick facade of the existing Safeway building. The fiberglass material is "radio - frequency transparent", that is, radio signals can penetrate the material; however, the fiberglass material is opaque and will completely conceal the antenna equipment. A sample of this fiberglass material is on file at the City planning office; it was submitted as part of an application for the "Verizon Wireless FTC Wolf Pup" site. (B) Co -location. No wireless telecommunication facility or equipment owner or lessee or employee thereof shall act to exclude or attempt to exclude any other wireless telecommunication provider from using the same building, structure or location. Wireless telecommunication facility owners or lessees or employees thereof shall cooperate in good faith to achieve co -location of wireless telecommunication facilities and equipment with other wireless telecommunication providers. • Verizon Wireless Response: Verizon Wireless will not act to exclude or attempt to exclude any other competitor from using the Safeway rooftop for the location of other antennas or telecommunication equipment. (C) Standards. (1) Setbacks. With respect to a wireless telecommunication facility that is a tower or a monopole, the setback of the facility from the property lines shall be one (1) foot for every foot of height. However, to the extent that it can be demonstrated that the structure will collapse rather than topple, this requirement can be waived by the Director. In addition, the setbacks for ground -mounted wireless telecommunication equipment shall be governed by the setback criteria established in Articles 3 and/or 4. 0 Verizon Wireless Response: Not applicable to rooftop installation. PROJECT INFORMATION Applicant Information: Verizon Wireless (VAW) LLC, d/b/a/ Verizon Wireless, 3131 South Vaughn Way, Aurora, CO 80014 Representative: Irene Cooke, Leasing and Zoning Consultant, Closser Consulting LLC, P O Box 423, Tabernash, CO 80478; (970) 531-0831 Land Owner Information: Dominick's Finer Foods, Inc. 11555 Dublin Canyon Road, Pleasanton, CA 94588; (925) 226-5143 Engineering Firm Preparing Site Plan: Charles Steckly Architecture, Inc.; 5935 South Zang Street, Suite 280, Littleton, CO 80127; (303) 932-9974 Name of Project: Verizon Wireless FTC Drake Crossing Address of Project: 2160 W. Drake Road PLANNING OBJECTIVES Verizon Wireless proposes to develop a new telecommunications site, "Verizon Wireless FTC Drake Crossing" at 2160 W. Drake Road at the Safeway shopping center. The purpose of this site is to provide improved coverage and capacity for Verizon Wireless customers and emergency services providers in the vicinity of the shopping center. The proposed site will be part of continuous telecommunications network serving the greater Fort Collins area. Verizon Wireless is currently proposing several sites within the City of Fort Collins and approval of this application will allow Verizon Wireless to meet its federally mandated obligations under the license granted by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) pursuant to the Telecommunications Act of 1996. Opportunities for collocation in this neighborhood are severely limited, due to the densely residential nature of the area. Verizon Wireless attempted to collocate with T-Mobile on a canister tower at the west edge of the shopping center. However, the T-Mobile tower had insufficient height to be commercially feasible for collocation by a second carrier. The proposed site will include a total of eighteen (18) panel antennas required to provide the desired service. Six (6) antennas (one sector) will be located in a stealth antenna screen on the southwestern corner of the Safeway roof; twelve (12) antennas (two sectors) will be located in another stealth antenna screen on the southeastern corner of the roof. Electronic equipment and an emergency generator will be located inside an equipment shelter at the rear of the store facing Valley Forge Avenue. The shelter will have a facade of brick to match the existing brick on the Safeway store. A complete array, that is, three (3) sectors of multiple antennas, is required due to the fact that Verizon Wireless is licensed for a number of different frequencies and services. In February, 2012, Verizon Wireless made a presentation to Planning and Zoning Staff to explain the need for a complete array of antennas. A copy of that presentation is included in this application package. Collocation inside a