STAFF REPORT Town of Clayton Planning Department 111 E. Second Street, Clayton, NC 27520 P.O. Box 879, Clayton, NC 27528 Phone: 919-553-5002 Fax: 919-553-1720 Planning Board May 23, 2016 Application Number: Project Name: Archer Lodge Verizon Tower Major Site Plan NC PIN / Tag #: Town Limits/ETJ: Overlay: Applicant: Owner: Location: 177000-33-4587 / 16I03019 ETJ None Crown Castle Louis F. Pourron Life Estate Located off of Covered Bridge Road Public Noticing: Neighborhood meeting May 4, 2016 Sign posted on May 17, 2016 REQUEST: The applicant is requesting major site plan approval to develop a new Verizon cell tower. SITE DATA: Acreage: Existing Use:.1 acres of a total of 98.44 acres of land will be leased for the tower facilities Agricultural/Residential Page 1 of 5
ADJACENT ZONING AND LAND USES: Direction Zoning Existing Use North Residential-Estate (R-E) Residential/Agricultural South Residential-Estate (R-E) Residential East Single Family Residential District (SFR-1, Archer Residential Lodge Jurisdiction) West Residential-Estate (R-E) Residential/Agricultural DEVELOPMENT DATA: Proposed Uses: Parking: Access: A new 155 monopole Verizon telecommunications tower Telecommunication Towers are exempt from parking requirements within the UDC The site will be accessed via a new gravel access road off of an existing entrance off of Covered Bridge Road STAFF ANALYSIS: Overview The applicant is requesting major site plan approval to install a new 155 (with a 9 lightning rod for a total elevation of 164 ) monopole Verizon cell tower on the subject property. The property owner will lease an 80 x80 space on the subject property to Verizon which will be where the tower and equipment shelter are located. Most of this leased space will be fenced in, and landscaping will be provided to ensure proper screening. The application is running concurrently with a Special Use Permit application for the tower. Both of these applications have been reviewed for the Town by Cityscape Consultants. Page 2 of 5
Consistency with Adopted Plans: 2040 Comprehensive Plan The 2040 Comprehensive Plan designates this site as Agricultural and Rural Residential. The proposed use is consistent with this designation. Unified Development Code The consultant for the project has determined that this project is consistent with the requirements of the Unified Development Code. Landscaping and Buffering The applicant will provide landscaping around the perimeter of the site as required by code. The applicant will be planting Leyland Cypress that shall have a maximum height of 6 to 10. The applicant will also be planting Rhododendron which will have a maximum height of 2 to 5. Balloon Test As part of the requirements for new telecommunication facilities, the applicant was required to perform a balloon test for the proposed cell tower. This was held on March 24, 2016 and the applicant has provided photo sims (renderings) which are included as attachments to the staff report. CONSIDERATIONS: Planning Board approves major site plans. Cityscape is the consultant used to review new telecommunication towers for the Town of Clayton. Cityscape provides a recommendation to the Town based on their findings. APPROVAL CRITERIA: The applicant has addressed the Major Site Plan Approval Criteria outlined in UDC Section 155.707. These are incorporated into the record as an attachment to the. Page 3 of 5
STAFF RECOMMENDATION: Staff is recommending approval with conditions of the Major Site Plan based on recommendation of approval from Cityscape Consultants in a letter dated May 12, 2016. CONDITIONS OF APPROVAL: If approved, staff recommends the following conditions be applied to the approval, based in part upon recommendations by Cityscape Consultants: 1. The applicant shall provide a satisfactory approval from the National Environment Policy Act and the State Historical Office; and, 2. The applicant or Crown Castle International, as owner shall submit a satisfactory statement of Compliance with FCC Good Engineering Practices and, 3. A tower with foundation plan for a one hundred fifty-five (155) foot monopole tower with a nine (9) foot attached lightning rod, certified by a North Carolina Professional Engineer stating the structure will meet or exceed EIA/TIA-222-G standards (as amended) to include the Town s desired number of antenna arrays of like design; and, 4. The applicant shall confirm that all feed lines, current and future, shall be installed inside the support structure; and, 5. The applicant shall ensure that the monopole structure will be maintained with all ports to remain sealed to prevent habitation by animals. In addition to the conditions of approval recommended by Cityscape, staff recommends the following conditions: 6. Following Council approval, three final sets of plans shall be delivered to the Planning Department for final approval and recording. The Conditions of Approval for the Special Use Permit and Site Plan (which are identical) shall be recorded on these final plan sets, preferably on the cover page or site plan sheet. 7. The development of the site shall be limited to the approved site plan, and further modifications shall require application through the Planning Department. 8. The site plan shall show the required 10 landscape perimeter buffer around the entire perimeter of the leased area, per 155.310. 9. A successful landscape/site inspection shall performed by the Planning Department prior to the issuance of a Certificate of Occupancy (or Compliance). 10. All mechanical equipment shall be screened entirely from view, per 155.402((G)(4)(a). This particularly applies to all ground-mounted mechanical equipment (generators, electrical boxes, etc.) within the fenced area. Year-round opaque visual screening is required, which may include dense, evergreen shrubbery. Page 4 of 5
11. The Special Use Permit shall only apply to the leased area on which the cell tower is to be located, as shown and stated in the site plan and attached lease agreement dated December 18, 2015, and as described in a legal description of the leased area. These area descriptions shall be recorded on the approved site plan. ATTACHMENTS: 1) Staff report maps 2) Application 3) Neighborhood Meeting Materials 4) Site Plan 5) RF Letter 6) Agent Authorization Letter 7) Archer Lodge Flush Mount Letter 8) Archer Lodge Tower Justification Letter 9) Balloon Test Photo Sims 1 10) Balloon Test Photo Sims 2 11) Lease Agreement 12) Sound Level Certification 13) Cityscape Consultants Recommendation Letter Page 5 of 5