11/18/2003 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Public Hearing of 11/18/2003 dealing with the placement of cell towers. They began to pop up in different places. The city had previously allowed one to go in on Claque Park on city property, and the city generated revenue from it. Council decided to be proactive to allow certain azeas of North Olmsted to be available for towers. It was limited to certain parts of the city because we didn't want people putting up cell towers along Lorain Road in a commercial district. At that time, we also said we would create an overlay district-small areas within the city. One was the mall, another was the west end of city in the industrial area along high tension towers. There were certain restrictions, but towers could be built in those azeas. Until now, the campus of schools was not an area where towers would be permitted. The question for this legislation is whether or not the overlay district would be expanded and, therefore, a tower would be permitted to come into that particulaz location. It would be subject to terms and conditions. Part of problem that residents are faced with is this discussion is in a vacuum-like somebody hasn't presented aproposal--but they have presented an idea. This zoning legislation only deals with concepts of allowing towers. The proposed location of the tower would be on Middle School property, to the far end of the football field on the right toward the grandstand. The plan is to replace a light pole that is currently used for lighting the football field with a 120 foot tower. There will be lights on the tower for the field, but this may throw less light off and direct it more. The actual tower project will follow a process through the boazds and commissions. Mrs. Puinno asked why more power was needed in the city. Dave Richazds, on behalf of Sprint Com, 6655 Pazkland Blvd., Solon, Ohio, addressed the question regarding why they were in attendance at the public heazing and why they aze looking for coverage in this area. Sprint has identified the azea centered where the tower is proposed to be located as an azea where there is a gap in coverage and additional coverage is needed for quality, reliable service for wireless network. Also in attendance is a Sprint RF engineer, Steve Fannin, who has propagation maps that can show some of the deficiencies in coverage in the area and what they aze attempting to cover by this site. Councilman Limpert commented that residents should be awaze of history and why the city has gone with overlays, etc. Council felt, if they did not put any sort of restrictions, zoning, or whatever as to where towers could be located, you could have a situation where a resident with a lazge enough backyazd could go put a tower in his yazd, reap the profits, rent the house and buy another house someplace else and leave the neighbors to look at the tower. tower. That is part of the logic why certain azeas were zoned to allow the towers. By federal law, the city had to allow enough places azound the city for towers. The thought was, if everyone has to look at it, everyone might as well reap some of the benefit from it regazding the lease. Originally the city went with city property as the main portion and then a few azeas were added in order to get locations to be diverse enough according to federal law. Federal law does not allow the city to prohibit all cell towers no matter what the reasoning or logic. One of the reasons we're strongly considering this legislation is, as a city, we have somewhat monopolized the vast majority of the proceeds to somewhat offset some of the tax burden of the citizens. Citizens are also paying school taxes. This parcel of school property is a lazge parcel and 2