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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLAN COMMISSION - 01/18/1995 - GTE AIRFONE V C°� ELK GROVE VILLAGE Plan Commission Minutes January 18, 1995 8:00 P.M. Present: F. Geinosky, Chairman P. Feichter, Secretary J. Meyers J. McAllister P. Ayers R. Guzzardi D. Paliganoff C. xenrici Absent: None Staff: Scott Niehaus, Administrative Assistant Steve Trudan, Plan Reviewer Petitioners: Bob Nelson, GTE Airfone, Inc. Ray Wilson, GTE Airfone, Inc. Chairman Geinosky called the meeting to order at 8:06 p.m. Item A: GTE Airfone - Special Use Permit Chairman Geinosky read the! docket for the public hearing. Commissioner Feichter swore in the petitioners. Nelson submitted information regarding GTE's request for special use. Nelson stated that the tower to be used would be an 80 foot free standing structure manufactured by Pirod, Inc. in Plymouth, Indiana. The tower would be structurally sound enough to withstand 80 mph winds and to operate with a layer of ice half an inch thick. The total weight of the tower is 2, 057 pounds. The base of the tower will be 8 feet 6 inches square and 4 feet 6 inches deep. The tower base will consist of 13 .4 cubic yards of concrete and 233 pounds of reinforcing rebar. It was also noted that the FAA did not require the tower to be lighted on top. Nelson stated that an anti-climbing screen will be added to prevent unauthorized climbing of the tower. In addition, three concrete posts will protect the base of the tower from vehicular traffic. A suitable grounding system will be installed for lightning protection. Nelson stated that three 3 foot antennas, model DB803Q, manufactured by Decibel Products, will be installed at the 75 foot level. These antennas will be connected to the communications room via 7/8 inch coaxial cable. Power from the antennas will not exceed the one watt maximum. Nelson stated that GTE would he using FCC licensed frequencies to transmit telephone communications to aircraft passengers. The transmission would operate at 850 megawatts, similar to cellular telephone frequencies. Currently, GTE has 96 towers in the United States, 18 in Mexico, and 12 in Canada. FAA approval has already been approved for the proposed tower site at 2700 Greenleaf. Nelson stated that GTE currently has a tower in Schiller Park which has 28 frequencies serving the O'Hare area. The proposed tower in Elk Grove would be used to service additional transmissions originating from O'Hare. Nelson stated that the location at 2700 Greenleaf was ideal because they lease property at that location; it is close to the airport, it is economically feasible; and because it is in an industrial area. Nelson stated that the 80 foot tower height was determined through field tests in the area which revealed that 80 feet provided the maximum clarity of signal transmission. Nelson stated that GTE would obtain adequate insurance to cover installation of the tower. Commissioner Meyers questioned if the tower's location on the west side of the building would affect parking requirements due to a potential loss of parking spaces. Nelson stated that he would need to work with staff to determine if extra spaces would be required. Commissioner Meyers questioned GTE's system, specifically if it would require any modification or duplication of antennas. Wilson stated that he does not anticipate any antenna changes. The proposed equipment will provide a maximum of 29 channels which provides them adequate room to expand service without modification. Commissioner Meyers questioned if GTE had any plans to install additional towers in Elk Grove. Nelson stated that they do not have any plans to build any more towers in Elk Grove at this time. Commissioner Meyers questioned if GTE was in competition with any companies who may wish to move into Elk Grove. Nelson stated that two companies, In-Flight and ClairCom, offer similar services in the O'Hare area. Nelson stated that it is possible that they may wish to locate in the village. Commissioner Henrici questioned why the tower was located on the west side of the building as opposed to the back of the building (north side) . Nelson stated that locating the tower in back would necessitate a longer cable run to the communication room located in the building. commissioner Henrici questioned the tower's proximity to the building. Nelson stated that the tower would be directly adjacent to the building. Commissioner Henrici questioned if the tower's location on the side of the building would requi::e a variation from village Code and stated that he would prefer to see the tower in the back of the building. Chairman Geinosky asked staff to investigate the concerns raised by Commissioner Henrici. Commissioner Henrici questioned the material of the tower in addition to its maintenance requirements. Nelson stated that the tower would be made of galvanized steel which requires very little maintenance. Wilson added that the structure would consist of solid steel rods which are impermeable to condensation and corrosion. Commission Feichter questioned how the 80 foot tower height was determined. Nelson stated that GTE Conducted tests in the Elk Grove area from a portable tower/antenna. From the tests it was determined that the 80 foot height would provide the maximum quality of signal transmission. Commissioner Feichter questioned if there would be any frequency interference problems with other towers in the area. Nelson stated that some interference problems may occur, however the FCC mandates that all issues must be resolved between communications providers. Nelson stated that GTE has had no problem resolving interference problems in the past. Commissioner Feichter questioned if GTE anticipated any interference problems with their current tower location or as more towers are installed in the area in the future. Wilson stated that they did not anticipate any problems but they could not rule out the possibility of them occurring. Commissioner Guzzardi questioned if the petitioner owned the property at 2700 Greenleaf. Nelson stated that GTE currently has a lease agreement with Arthur Rogers. Nelson states that Rogers voiced no objection to the proposed tower. Commissioner Guzzardi questioned what would happen if GTE were to vacate their current address. Nelson stated that they have no intention of leaving, but if they did, GTE would restore the property to its state prior to tower installation. Commissioner Guzzardi questioned if the petitioner was interested in renting space on their tower to other communications companies. Nelson stated that they would consider renting space to cellular companies but not to ground to air communication companies. Commissioner McAllister questioned why the O'Hare area wasn't covered by GTE's Schiller Park location. Nelson stated that the Schiller Park tower does cover the entire O'Hare area but it only has 28 channels. Therefore the Elk Grove location would be used to absorb the spill over business at peak times. Commissioner McAllister questioned why the tower needed to be 80 feet high if it was communicating with aircraft. Nelson stated that a majority of their business comes from planes which were on the ground waiting to disembark. Therefore the tower needed to be 80 feet high to transmit signals from ground based planes. Commissioner Paliganoff questioned the number of 8 foot antennas which would be located on the tower. Nelson stated that there would be three 8 foot antennas. Commissioner Paliganoff questioned if the price of the lease agreement was being increased and if GTE would consider moving the tower to a new site. Nelson stated that the price of the lease was not being increased and therefore their interest in finding a new location was minimal. Commissioner Paliganoff questioned length of the petitioners lease and their intent to stay at their current location. Nelson stated that GTE would be willing to work with the property owners to obtain a longer lease. In addition, Nelson stated that GTE's investment in a tower at that location would be an important factor in staying at their current location. Commissioner Paliganoff questioned if the petitioner would agree to a provision in the special use permit requiring a review of the permit or an inspection of the antenna. Nelson stated that they would be agreeable to such a provision. Commissioner Paliganoff questioned if the antenna would be modified as communications technology evolved. Wilson stated that the proposed antenna was highly specialized for airfone use and will be very flexible as technology changes. Chairman Geinosky stated that he would like to include provisions for reviewing the special use in the permit ordinance. Chairman Geinosky questioned the difference between ground to air communication and cellular communication. Wilson stated that there is not much difference with the exception that ground to air communication is based at a specific location and then transferred to new locations as planes move in and out of coverage zones. Chairman Geinosky questioned if there would be an increase in phone traffic due to the additional tower and if so, would GTE install new towers. Nelson stated that he did not anticipate a large increase in phone traffic. in addition, Nelson stated that GTE would probably install more antennas prior to installing new towers. chairman Geinosky questioned if GTE would be obtaining a company to inspect the tower on an annual basis. Nelson stated that it would be in their best interest to do so in order to avoid large repair/maintenance costs. Commissioner Paliganoff questioned if GTE was licensed by the FCC. Nelson stated that their 10 year license was up for renewal in 1997. Chairman Geinosky questioned how long it would take to build the tower if approval was received. Nelson stated that tower construction would take approximately 4 weeks. Commissioner McAllister questioned why the tower couldn 't be located on top of the building. Nelson stated that the weight of the tower prohibited it from being placed on top of the building. Chairman Geinosky opened the public hearing to comments from the audience. There were no comments. Chairman Geinosky closed the public hearing at 9:20 p.m. After further discussion regarding the location of the tower, Chairman Geinosky directed the petitioner to work with staff to see if the tower could be relocated in more acceptable location, such as the back of the building. Chairman Geinosky notified the petitioner that another meeting with the Plan Commission would be necessary before a recommendation could be made. Commissioner Henrici stated his disappointment with the comments provided by staff. He felt that information regarding possible zoning variations due to the tower location should have been reported to the Plan Commission prior to the public hearing. He also asked that more attention to detail be exercised in future staff comments. Commissioner Meyers noted that the minutes from the January 4 meeting, page 2, paragraph 6, should be revised to show his concern that the detention ponds met State standards not village standards. Commissioner Meyers noted that the minutes from the January 4 meeting, page 2, paragraph 7, should be revised to include his concern over the lost parking spaces due to the configuration of the drive through canopy on the north side of the building. Commissioner Meyers noted that the minutes from January 4 meeting, page 2, paragraph 8, should be revised to include his concerns that the landscape island adjacent to the truck parking spaces remain even if the fire hydrant is moved. Commissioner Paliganoff moved and Commissioner Feichter seconded the motion to adjourn. Chairman Geinosky adjourned the meeting at 9:45 p.m. Respectfully submitted, i Scott R. Niehaus Administrative Assistant SRN/el C: chairman and Members of Plan Commission, President and Board of Trustees, Village Clerk, Village Manager, Assistant Village Manager, Administrative Assistant, Administrative Intern, Director of Engineering/Community Development, Director of Public Works, Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief (2) , Assistant Fire Chief, Chairman and Members of ZBA, Village Attorney