SITE PLAN REVIEW ADMINISTRATIVE REVIEW April 20, 2006
A. SUMMARY
SP-03-28-06: Stratford Water Tower – Addition of a generator, a site plan for placement of a generator for T-Mobile within the enclosure of the City Water Tank located at 1815 Stratford Road. Submitted by Selective Site Consultants for T-Mobile. City of Lawrence; property owner of record.
B.        GENERAL INFORMATION
Current Zoning and Land Use:	RS-2 (Single-Family Residence) District; existing water tower facility.
Surrounding Zoning and Land Use:	RS-2 (Single-Family Residence) District in all directions; existing residential neighborhood.

Site Summary:
Gross Area:	2.33 acre site
Tower Enclosure:	109’ x 130’ fenced area with multiple carriers and equipment buildings.
Existing tower:	140’ tower
Proposed construction	Addition of pad and generator
Off-Street Parking Required:	None
Previous Site Plan Approval:	SP-03-20-99 – communication building for city equipment SP-11-77-00 – antenna changes for Voicestream SP-12-89-02 – Co-location by Verizon Wireless SP-01-04-06 – Co-location for Lawrence Freenet

Staff Recommendation: Planning staff recommends approval of the site plan subject to the following condition:

1. Execution of necessary agreements with the City.

C.        STAFF REVIEW

The subject property is located in the southwest corner of the Water Tower Park [northwest corner of Stratford and Sunset Drive]. The property is owned by the City of Lawrence and is developed with an existing 140’ water tower and multiple buildings for communication equipment already located at this site. There are no proposed changes to the parking or access to the site. The proposed request is for the placement of an emergency generator on a 2’ by 4’ pad for an existing telecommunication provider that is co-located on the water tank. This generator would operate only during emergencies when normal power supply has been disrupted for service.

Southwester Bell Telephone representative’s noted an interest in placement of transformer facilities within the enclosure in the future in response to providing service to the carriers for ground line connections. Likewise Westar Energy would place transformers within the enclosure. It should be noted that this enclosure area is quite full in terms of structures and equipment located at the base of the water tower. Future requests for location of equipment within the current enclosure will be specifically assessed by City staff with regard to feasibility of excess area within the current enclosure. 

Landscaping has been requested from Parks and Recreation within the enclosure to provide screening. However the number of underground lines for electric, phone and other utilities makes this location for screening impractical at this time. City staff must meet to discuss a feasible alternative to providing screening of equipment within the park setting. Specific screening for the placement of the generator is not required.

Section 20-1428 of the Zoning Regulations provides the criteria to evaluate the use as either a significant or minor alteration.

· The proposed change adds a 2’ 6” by 4’ 6” concrete pad for a generator and does not include any alteration to the existing buildings at the base of the tower. The height of the generator is show as 2’ 6.5” above grade.  [(a)The development results in the construction of a building, structure, or addition that increases the gross square footage of the existing development by more than ten percent (10%); provided, that separate incremental developments below the 10% amount shall not be used to avoid the requirements of Sections 20-1428:1435 if in the aggregate the developments over a period of 18 months would meet those requirements]

· The proposed equipment addition represents less than 10% of the total value of the property [(b)The estimated construction costs of the development exceeds ten percent (10%) of the most recent appraised fair market value of the existing property as determined by the County Appraiser, provided, that separate incremental developments below the 10% amount shall not be used to avoid the requirements of Sections 20-1428:1435 if in the aggregate the development over a period of 18 months would meet those requirements]

· No new parking areas are proposed that add impervious cover to the site that did not exist. [(c) The construction or paving of any parking lot or facility which covers ground previously not used as a parking lot or facility, or the construction or paving of any parking lot or facility which does not conform to City pavement standards pursuant to 20-1217].

· Section 20-1428 (3)(d) regarding the definition of a significant alteration states; “The alteration or intensification of any use which increases off-street parking requirements pursuant to Article 12 of this Chapter.”  The proposed site plan is not an intensification of the use.

In staff’s opinion, the proposed change satisfies the definition of a minor alteration. Section 20-1434 of the Zoning Codes allows for administrative approval of both minor and significant alterations to existing development in specific circumstances. Staff recommends administrative approval of the site plan for the proposed placement of a generator for T-Mobile telecommunication.