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HomeMy WebLinkAboutPLAN COMMISSION - 09/06/2000 - NEXTEL/GARLISCH /HIGGINS ELK GROVE VILLAGE Plan Commission Minutes September 6, 2000 Present: J. Glass, Chairman P. Ayers F. Geinosky J. Meyers D. Paliganoff D. Sokolowski T. Thompson Absent: C. Henrici Staff: P. Vadopalas, Assistant to the Village Manager M. Roan, Administrative Intern Petitioners: D. Terry,Nextel Communications M. Andrews, Nextel Communications Chairman Glass called the meeting to order at 8:05 p.m. Item 1: Approval of the Minutes Chairman Glass asked for a motion on the minutes from the August 16, 2000 meeting. Secretary Geinosky moved to approve the minutes as written. Commissioner Meyers seconded the motion. Upon voting,(Glass, Ayers,Geinosky,Meyers,Paliganoff, Sokolowski,Thompson, AYES,Henrici,Absent) the motion carried unanimously. Item 2: Nextel Communications Special Use Petition—61 Garlisch Chairman Glass announced that the Plan Commission would consider the petition of Nextel Communications to construct a 50-foot tall monopole and an equipment shelter on property located at 61 Garlisch. Chairman Glass stated this hearing is continued from August 2 because the subject property was not properly posted. He further indicated that his employer currently has contracts pending with Nextel that are not material to this case, and he saw no reason to disqualify himself from the proceedings. Secretary Geinosky swore in the petitioners. D. Terry introduced himself as a Zoning Specialist with Nextel Communications. Nextel is petitioning the Village for a Special Use permit to construct a 50-foot monopole on private property generally known as 61 Garlisch. The monopole would be constructed to be extendable to a height of 110-feet, providing a location for two more telecommunications carriers. The property is currently zoned I-1 Industrial and is adjacent to the Northwest Tollway. The surrounding properties are all zoned 1-1 Industrial. D. Terry stated the proposal includes the installation of an equipment cabinet with the dimensions being I l' X 20'. The area of land to be leased from the property owner would be 1,264 square feet. The entire lease area would be enclosed by a six-foot high,board-on-board fence. The equipment shelter's exterior would include an aggregate stone finish. D. Terry responded to several comments from Village staff related to increasing the amount of landscaping at the site, undergrounding of cables,and paving the lease area. Nextel has no objections and will comply with all staff directions. D. Terry explained that Nextel primarily serves business customers and the large concentration of businesses in Elk Grove Village is creating capacity problems for Nextel. To address the capacity problem,Nextel is seeking multiple antennae sites that are lower in height. This site provides the ability to support Nextel's other antennae in the area and improve coverage to motorists on the adjacent tollway. Nextel did consider alternative sites, including the Oakton Street Fire Station. The fire station property is too far south from their other sites, and Nextel's goal is to offload traffic from existing antennae to the north and east. Commissioner Thompson asked for information on the lease agreement between the property owner and Nextel. P. Vadopalas stated the Village does not have information about the lease's provisions. Chairman Glass stated the subject site is private property and the Village does not involve itself in private transactions. Commissioner Sokolowski questioned if the proposed site would be secured, because the area is easily accessible. D. Terry responded the fencing will provide sufficient security,and will include a locked gate for entering the site. Commissioner Sokolowski asked if the properly included sufficient area to locate the ground equipment of future carriers looking to co-locate on the monopole. D. Terry responded there is sufficient area. P. Vadopalas noted the existing trailers shown on the site plan to be near the proposed monopole are currently illegally used for storage, and are the subject of enforcement action by the Village. Commissioner Ayers asked for additional information on the monopole's construction and ability to be expanded in size. D. Terry stated the monopole would be constructed to support the future addition of sleeves to extend the monopole's height. Multiple extensions could be added to whatever height future carriers would need. Commissioner Ayers questioned if Nextel uses commonly available shelters for their equipment so future carriers could build shelters to match. D. Terry responded Nextel uses commonly available sheds which other companies should have no problem in matching. Commissioner Paliganoff asked for the term of the proposed lease agreement. D. Terry stated 5-years, with options to renew up to five additional terms of five years. Secretary Geinosky questioned if the adjacent high-tension wires would cause interference problems for cellular antennae. M. Andrews stated Nextel's antennae would not be on the same plane as the wires and would not be impacted. Nextel has other sites within 30-feet of similar wires and has experienced no problems. Secretary Geinosky asked what problems future carriers might have when trying to locate at the same height as the wires. Andrews responded that the wire would have no impact on radio signals if they were not on the same horizontal plane as the antennae. Secretary Geinosky asked how many active sites Nextel currently has in operation in Elk Grove. Terry responded two sites are currently active; one on the water tower at 1141 Hawthorne,and a second on the water tower at Pratt and Tonne. Terry stated Nextel has received approval for a monopole at the Village's water tank site at Greenleaf and Busse,but that site is not yet active. Secretary Geinosky asked what Nextel anticipates for the need of additional sites in the future. M. Andrews stated Nextel conducts 18-month forecasts every three months, and they do not anticipate additional petitions in Elk Grove Village. Nextel's current concern is with capacity which can be addressed with multiple, smaller antennae instead of the panel antennae currently proposed. Nextel predicts an additional 6 locations will be needed in the future,most likely located closer to the airport. The additional locations would be for whip antennae, generally four-feet in height and one-inch around. Secretary Geinosky asked what the appearance of the subject installation would be. Terry responded a triangular array of antennae would be installed at 50-feet in height. The installation would include a total of nine antennae located three on each side. Chairman Glass opened the hearing for audience comment. There were no comments from the audience. Commissioner Sokolowski questioned why the Oakton Fire Station site would not work even though it is located %,mile south of the proposed site. M. Andrews explained the goal of the proposed installation is to provide coverage on I-90, offload some traffic from an antenna to the east, and improve coverage in the industrial park. The farther west Nextel needs to go, the higher the antenna installation has to be in order to meet these goals. There being no further comments,Chairman Glass asked for a motion on the petition. Commissioner Paliganoff moved to recommend approval of a Special Use permit to Nextel Communications to construct a 50-foot tall monopole, extendable to a height of 110 feet, for the installation of a wireless telecommunication facility with nine panel antennae and an equipment shelter on property located at 61 Garlisch, in substantial conformance to the Site Plan received by the Village Clerk on June 7, 2000,to be in effect for the team of the lease between the property owner and Nextel Communications. Commissioner Meyers seconded the motion. . Upon voting, (Glass, Ayers, Geinosky,Meyers, Paliganoff, Sokolowski, Thompson, AYES, Henriei, Absent)the motion carried unanimously. Item 3: Nextel Communications Special Use Petition—570 E.Higgins Road Chairman Glass stated the Plan Commission previously held a public hearing to consider Nextel Communication's petition for a Special Use permit to construct a wireless telecommunications facility on the top of an existing building at 570 E. Higgins Road. The hearing was continued until the petitioner presented a revised plan for the installation. D. Terry stated Nextel presented their proposal to the Plan Commission at a public hearing on April-19, 2000. Nextel proposes to extend the chimney at 570 E. Higgins to a height of 45-feet and mount a total of nine panel antennae onto the extended chimney. The Plan Commission did not object to the installation, but directed Nextel to develop a design to screen the antennae from view. D. Terry explained the building owner is planning a renovation of the building in the future, and Nextel worked with the owner's architect to develop a design that would complement the remodeled building exterior. Terry distributed an elevation plan showing the remodel design and Nextel's installation. D. Terry stated Nextel has designed a cupola to be installed on the roof of the building(plan attached). The total height of the structure would reach 45-feet,with the antennae mounted at 35-feet. The installation would still include nine panel antennae, and the equipment cabinets would still be located in the basement of the building. Chairman Glass asked if the building owner has approved the design. D. Terry stated Nextel worked closely with the owner and architect in designing this installation, and the owner has approved the design. The owner plans to complete the renovations from one to three years in the future. Chairman Glass asked when Nextel would begin construction if they received approval today. D.Terry responded as soon as possible in order to complete the exterior work before winter. Commissioner Meyers voiced his approval of the design concept, and questioned what the actual building materials would be and whether the cupola is simply a box with a false front. D.Terry responded he would need to consult the architect for construction details. Commissioner Meyers questioned how the cupola would be maintained. D. Terry responded Nextel's responsibility to maintain the cupola is covered in the lease agreement with the property owner. D. Terry noted the building owner is planning a large investment in the building's renovation, and has an interest in seeing this installation well maintained. Chairman Glass asked for a motion on the petition. Commissioner Meyers moved to recommend approval of a Special Use permit to Nextel Communications to install a wireless telecommunications facility on top of an existing building at 570 E. Higgins Road, and a height variation up to 45-feet, as depicted on Elevation Plans received by the Village Clerk on August 25, 2000, subject to Plan Commission review and approval of construction details at the September 201h Plan Commission meeting. Commissioner Ayers seconded the motion. Upon voting, (Glass, Ayers, Geinosky,Meyers, Paliganoff, Sokolowski, Thompson, AYES, Henrici,Absent)the motion carried unanimously. Item 4 Sprint PCS Special Use Petition—676 Meacham Road,Meacham Fire Station Chairman Glass opened the hearing and announced that the hearing would be continued to September 20, 2000 at 9:00 p.m. Chairman Glass adjourned the meeting at 9:05 p.m. Res?xA�d ptfully submitted, eY �o 4-r� P Assistant to the Village Manager C: Chairman and Members of the Plan Commission, President and Board of Trustees, Village Clerk, Village Manager, Assistant Village Manager, Assistant to the Village Manager, Administrative Intem, Director of Engineering/Community Development, Director of Public Works, Fire Chief, Deputy Fire Chief(2), Assistant Fire Chief, Village Attorney.