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HomeMy WebLinkAbout6.UP25-0003 Project Support StatementEVEREST INFRASTRUCTURE PARTNERS & VERIZON WIRELESS PROJECT SUPPORT STATEMENT Site Name: Elsey Address: No Street Address, Coal Canyon Rd, Oroville APN: 041-140-023 INTRODUCTION & FACILITY DESCRIPTION The demand for wireless and data services continues to grow across California. Access to the wireless network has become vital as individuals increasingly rely on handheld and mobile devices as their primary method of communication. Everest Infrastructure Partners is an infrastructure company working in partnership with Verizon Wireless to improve its wireless network through industry-leading techniques and innovative solutions to respond to high levels of wireless network traffic and increased user demand. This proposal for a new wireless telecommunications facility, to be built by Everest to Verizon’s specifications, is an essential part of the effort to continuously improve the Verizon network for existing and potential customers. The facility is designed to comply with all Butte County rules and regulations. This is a proposal for a new freestanding wireless facility, to provide improved coverage and in the areas along State Route 149 and State Route 70, and to improve capacity in a larger area by offloading existing sites. The proposed facility is the least intrusive means for Verizon to close a significant gap in network coverage. It will be engineered to allow future additional carriers to further improve service in the area. Site Name: Elsey No Street Address, Coal Canyon Rd (APN 041-140-023) 2 DESIGN AND LOCATION The project is located on a 144.88 acre parcel zoned 160 acre Agricultural (AG-160). The property is currently used for grazing livestock and that usage will not be impacted by the proposed facility. The property is accessed off of Coal Canyon Road via Flag Creek Road, a private road. The neighboring parcels are all zoned 20 Agricultural (AG-20). There also appear to be some residential uses on neighboring parcels, with the nearest residence approximately 850’ to the east. The proposed facility is 2,403.1’ from the northern property line, 1,932.1’ from the western property line, 570.3’ from the eastern property line, and 170.1’ from the southern property line. (The property to the south is also owned by the same party as the subject parcel.) A large hill takes up much of the eastern portion of the parcel, which significantly impact the placement of the facility on the property and the height required to meet the significant gap in coverage. Project Location The facility has been designed at the minimum functioning height necessary to provide service. Antennas and radios would be mounted on a 165’ tall monopole. (170’ if a 5’ lighting rod is counted as part of the facility’s height.) The pole would be engineered to allow for colocation by other wireless carriers. The facility would be placed within a 50’ by 50’ fenced compound with ample space for Verizon’s Site Name: Elsey No Street Address, Coal Canyon Rd (APN 041-140-023) 3 ground equipment and the equipment of future carriers. Verizon’s ground equipment would consist of two equipment cabinets (with space for a third) and a 30 kW emergency backup generator with a 203 gallon diesel fuel tank, all installed on a concrete slab. The compound would be secured by a 6’ tall chain link fence with brown slats and topped with barbed wire The site would be accessed off the existing private access road, with a new, approximately 300’ long all weather access road, complete with a fire turnaround, covering the remaining distance to the compound. Everest and Verizon explored the possibility of placing the facility on the top of the hill, but ultimately it would not be feasible to construct a fire code compliant access road. Utilities would be brought underground to the project site. A full set of photo simulations has been included with the project application. Williamson Act Analysis The proposed use would not interfere with the existing agricultural use of the property. The 2500 square foot compound would take a total of 0.04% of the 144.88 acre parcel. Cell towers are common use on properties with Williamson Act Contracts for this reason – they provide additional revenue and utility service, but have an extremely minimal footprint, especially relative to the size of a large agricultural parcel. Compound and New 300’ Long Driveway Site Name: Elsey No Street Address, Coal Canyon Rd (APN 041-140-023) 4 View from approximately 2600’ away on State Route 70, looking southeast towards the site Site Name: Elsey No Street Address, Coal Canyon Rd (APN 041-140-023) 5 View from approximately 3800’ away on Coal Canyon Rd, looking northeast towards the site Site Name: Elsey No Street Address, Coal Canyon Rd (APN 041-140-023) 6 View from approximately 700’ away on Flag Creek Road (private), looking northwest towards the site Site Name: Elsey No Street Address, Coal Canyon Rd (APN 041-140-023) 7 DESCRIPTION OF COVERAGE AREA The purpose of the facility is to improve wireless coverage and capacity for residents, travelers, and businesses along State Route 70 and State Route 149 that currently suffer from poor service, in particular residences to the east of State Route 70. Wireless facilities need line of sight in order to function, which complicates coverage in hilly areas such as this one. In addition to improving coverage, the site will also provide relief for existing sites in the area. Overloaded sites result in reduced network throughput, which degrades network performance, leading to an increase in dropped calls, poor download speeds, and poor service. The site being proposed as the least intrusive means of filling this gap in service for the area. Aerial of Approximate Coverage and Capacity Area Site Name: Elsey No Street Address, Coal Canyon Rd (APN 041-140-023) 8 Existing Coverage, 2100 MHz Site Name: Elsey No Street Address, Coal Canyon Rd (APN 041-140-023) 9 Coverage with Proposed Facility, 2100 MHz Site Name: Elsey No Street Address, Coal Canyon Rd (APN 041-140-023) 10 ADDITIONAL INFORMATION Safety Benefits of Improved Wireless Service Verizon Wireless offers its customers multiple services such as voice calls, text messaging, mobile email, picture/video messaging, mobile web, navigation, broadband access, V CAST, and E911 services. Mobile phone use has become an extremely important tool for first responders and serves as a back-up system in the event of a natural disaster. Verizon will install a standby generator at this facility to ensure quality communication for the surrounding community in the event of a natural disaster or catastrophic event. This generator will be fully contained within the equipment shelter and will provide power to the facility if local power systems are offline. Maintenance Verizon installs standby generators and backup batteries at all its cell sites. The generator and batteries play a vital role in Verizon’s emergency and disaster preparedness plan. In the event of a power outage, the back-up generator will automatically start and continue to run the site for up to 24 hours. The standby generator will operate for approximately 15 minutes every other week for maintenance purposes and will only be tested during the daytime. Back-up generators allow Verizon’s sites to continue providing valuable communications services in the event of a power outage, natural disaster or other emergency. Following construction, a small sign indicating the facility owner and a 24-hour emergency telephone number will be provided on site. Parking & Traffic The facility is unmanned and will operate 24 hours a day, seven days a week. A technician will occasionally visit the facility to service the equipment, approximately once a month. There will no other visitors or guests associated with the facility. Construction Schedule The construction of the facility will follow all local rules and regulations. The crew size will range from two to ten individuals. The construction phase of the project will last approximately two months and will not exceed acceptable noise levels. Compliance with FCC Standards This project will not interfere with any TV, radio, telephone, satellite, or other signals. Any interference would be against federal law and a violation of Verizon’s FCC license. An RF report verifying compliance with FCC guidelines is included with this submittal. Environmental Assessment A study verifying compliance with FCC EME regulations has been included as part of this application. Airports There are no airports or airstrips within five miles of the proposed facility. Water Usage As the facility is unmanned and no landscaping is proposed, there will be no impact on water usage on the property. Site Name: Elsey No Street Address, Coal Canyon Rd (APN 041-140-023) 11 Notice of Actions Affecting Development Permit In accordance with California Government Code Section 65945(a), Verizon requests notice of any proposal to adopt or amend the: general plan, specific plan, zoning ordinance, ordinance(s) affecting building or grading permits that would in any manner affect this development permit. Any such notice may be sent to 2009 V Street, Sacramento, CA 95818.