ADMINISTRATIVE SITE PLAN REVIEW
SP-02-15-06: Harper Water Tower Sprint Co-location, a site plan for the addition of communication equipment to the Harper Tank Water Tower located at 2100 Harper Street. Submitted by William Holick of LCC for Sprint/Nextel. City of Lawrence property owner of record.
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Current Zoning and Land Use: |
RS-2 (Single-Family Residence) District existing city property developed with a water tower and fire station facility.
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Surrounding Zoning and Land Use: |
RS-2 (Single-Family Residence) District to the north, east and south; Douglas County Fairgrounds to the north and manufactured housing park to the east and south.
RM-D (Duplex Residential) District and RM-1 (Multiple-Family Residence) District to the west; existing residential development.
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Site Summary: |
“Site” includes the fire station and water tower properties. Combined sites provide access and circulation to both city properties.
2128 Harper – Fire station 2100 Harper – water tower |
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Gross Area: |
1.66 acres (Fire Station) 0.79 acres (water tower) |
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Tower Enclosure Existing: Tower Enclosure Proposed: |
None 25’ by 15’ for Sprint with fencing for additional carrier in future (Lawrence Freenet, not part of this application) |
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Existing Tower: |
98’ pedestal elevated spheroidal water tower |
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Proposed Construction: |
Placement of ground mounted equipment within fenced enclosure and access drive to enclosure from driveway. |
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Related site plans: |
SP-03-16-00 – Fire Station 2 SP-01-03-06 – Lawrence Freenet application pending final negotiations and consideration for Sprint request – separate approval required. |
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Staff Recommendation: Planning staff recommends approval of the site plan subject to the following conditions: 1. Show correct address of 2100 Harper on Sheet T1 2. Execution of necessary agreements with City. |
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C. STAFF REVIEW
Subject property is located on the east side of Harper Street. It is developed with an existing water tower and is immediately south of Fire Station No. 2. The proposed request is for the addition of communication equipment on the tower and the placement of an equipment building at the base of the tower. Construction will include an access drive to the enclosure from the current driveway. The subject site is considered as both the fire station and water tower properties because of the common/shared driveway to both sides.
The site plan shows the construction of an enclosed or fenced area to the east of the leased area to accommodate a future communication provider – Lawrence Freenet. This area is not part of the technical lease of this application, but provided for a coordinated application of screening fence material for the entire area to be occupied.
D. Findings
Per Section 20-1432 staff shall first find that the following conditions have been met:
(a) That the proposed use is a permitted use in the district in which the property is located;
The property is zoned for residential uses. Community facilities such as water towers are permitted in residential districts subject to special permits. The use of this site as a water utility site has been occupied since the early 1970’s. The proposed request represents a co-location consideration for the addition of antenna on an existing structure and the placement of ground mounted equipment within an enclosure and access drive at the base of the structure.
(b) That the proposed arrangement of buildings, off-street parking, access, lighting, landscaping and drainage is compatible with adjacent land uses;
The ground mounted equipment will be located to the rear of the tower just north of the existing fence to avoid conflicts with underground equipment. No off-street parking is required. An access drive is provided to the ground equipment for service as needed to avoid damage to the lawn area and existing curb. No impact to adjacent properties is anticipated.
(c) That the vehicular ingress and egress to and from the site and circulation within the site provides for safe, efficient and convenient movement of traffic not only within the site but on adjacent roadways as well;
The site abuts Harper Street on the west side. General access to the site is accommodated via a shared driveway with the fire station to the north. The site plan shows an access easement from the shared driveway across the lawn area to provide direct access to the enclosure for maintenance as necessary. This will avoid damage to the lawn and curb in the long run. Overall site circulation is preserved.
(d) That the site plan provides for the safe movement of pedestrians within the site;
Addition of proposed use will not alter or hinder pedestrian safety for the site.
(e) That there is a sufficient mixture of grass, trees, and shrubs within the interior and perimeter (including public right-of-way) of site so that the proposed development will be in harmony with adjacent land uses and will provide a pleasing appearance to the public. Any part of the site plan area not used for buildings, structures, parking, or accessways shall be landscaped with a mixture of grass, trees and shrubs;
The proposed addition will be screened so that view from the public right-of-way is addressed. No landscaping is proposed around the fence. Any areas disturbed during construction will be repaired.
(f) That all outdoor trash storage areas are screened and are in accordance with standards as prepared by the department of public works;
Trash storage areas are not included or necessary for the proposed use for co-location of communication equipment.
(g) That the site plan takes into consideration existing improvements or physical alterations that have been made to prepare the site for development.
The proposed request is related to the tower regulations that specify a preference for co-location of communication equipment over the construction of new tower structures. A self-supporting mono pole is located to the south and west from this site. However, two existing carriers occupy the top pole positions and the ground elevation of the tower is approximately 15-20 lower than the elevation of the water tower. This makes the existing monopole to the southwest impractical to meet the applicant’s coverage needs.
The proposed equipment to be mounted on the tower will provide mounting for an existing antenna for the Lawrence Police department.
E. CONCLUSION
The proposed request is consistent with similar applications for co-location on municipal property. The site is unique in that discussions have been initiated for the future construction of a second elevated water tank. The ground elevation of the property is desirable for municipal utility uses for the same reasons it is desirable for communication carriers. Interest has been expressed in placement of additional equipment for T-Mobile and for Lawrence Freenet both in negotiations with the City. The primary use of the site is for the municipal supply of water (south .73 acres); the placement of communication equipment is a secondary or accessory consideration. A comprehensive consideration of the site and all uses should be considered by city staff to optimize placement of multiple equipment and provide a cohesive approach to screening and landscaping the site for aesthetic purposes.