2002-39 GRANTING SPECIAL PERMIT COMMUNICATION TOWER - SPECTRASITE COMMUNICATIONS

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Economic & Urban Development Department Memorandum #01-51 I May 16, 2002 �I TO: Honorable M or Terry M. Howley and City Council Members � FROM: Steve Garm ity Manager A. J. Krieger, ssistant City Manage Steven J. Van teenhuyse,Planning ag� Hala Ahmed,Environmental Specialist�— SUBJECT: Amend Planned Unit Development (PUD) and Special Use Permit (SUP) for Fairview Park Plaza Shopping Center to Allow the Construction of a 180 foot Monopole Communications Tower RECOMMENDATION: The site of the proposed monopole is adjacent to a high-voltage Illinois Power/Dynegy substation and to the Norfolk Southern railroad right of way. The required 90-foot fall zone of the proposed tower encroaches on the premises of the above entities. The petitioner failed to provide any proof that Illinois Power/Dynegy and Norfolk Southern do not object to being within the fall zone of the proposed structure. In addition, the location proposed by the petitioner for the cell tower aggravates a parking difficiency at Fairview Park Plaza which was part of an amended PUD. Although the petitioner submitted an alternative parking plan, staff finds the proposal unacceptable due to improper design and submittal. Based on the above, staff recommends denial of the petition. BACKGROUND: The subject site is located at the southwest corner of Fairview Plaza Shopping Center. The proposed tower is in an existing PUD which was amended in December, 2000 (Ordinance 2000-112). The previously approved/amended PUD was to accommodate 759 parking stalls. At the time of the amendment, the development had 581 parking spaces. City policy requires a "fall zone" around the tower which is equal in radius to one-half the height of the tower. The fall zone for the proposed monopole encroaches on an existing canopy attached to the Fairview Plaza building, as well as the premises for Illinois Power/Dynegy substation and the railroad right of way for Norfolk Southern. The fall zone refers to a "setback area measured from the base of a cellular structure that is created to prevent damage from ice or other falling debris from the antenna platform at the top of a tower or monopole" according to Stanley Abrams in his 1998 article on an update on the 1996 Telecommunication Act. Studies show that such falling debris is generally contained in a radius of 50% of the height of the tower, i.e. a radius of 90 feet in this situation. This was demonstrated in 1999 when falling ice from a cellular structure crashed through the windshield of a parked car on Route 36.