Sprint PCS-CS000217 CITY OF COPPELL
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
CASE NO.: S-1173, Sorint PCS Antenna
P & Z HEARING DATE: February 17, 2000 (Originally heard January 204; continued to
February 17th)
C.C. HEARING DATE: Mm'eh 14, 2000
LOCATION: Coppell Middle School West Campus, 1301 Wrangler Road.
SIZE OF AREA: Coppell Middle School Campus: 51.8 acres
Lease Area: 0.028 acres or 1,200 square feet
CURRENT ZONING: C (Commercial)
REQUEST: C-S.U.P. (Commercial, Special Use Permit).
APPLICANT: Sprint PCS Representative:
1341 W. Mockingbird Lane, Ste. 500 Zone Systems, Inc.
Dallas, TX 75147 1620 Handley Drive, Ste. A
(214) 5254044 Dallas, TX 75208
FAX: (214) 5254134 (214) 941-4440
FAX: (214) 941-5259
HISTORY: No zoning history. The Planning and Zoning Commission approved
the final plat on October 19, 1995.
TRANSPORTAIlON: Wrangler Road is a C4U, four-lane undivided thoroughfare in 60
feet of fight-of-way.
SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING:
North- Park West Commerce Industrial Park; "LI" Light Industrial
South - vacant; "A" Agriculture
East - Nikor Commerce Center; "LI" Light Industrial
West - vacant; "LI" Light Industrial
Item# 7
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The Comprehensive Plan shows the property as suitable for
freeway office uses.
DISCUSSION: [Bold text pertains to staff discussion for the February 17, 2000
Planning and Zoning Commission meeting. Unbold text was the staff
discussion that was presented to the Planning and Zoning Commission
on January 20, 2000.]
The applicant is proposing to build a 65'-high monopole to accommodate
the Sprint PCS antennas and the Coppell Independent School District's
two way radio antennas. Sprint PCS is proposing to lease about 1,200
square feet of land located 30' west of the southeast comer of the Middle
School West Campus. The site is immediately southeast of youth baseball
and softball fields. The proposed tower site is also situated approximately
2,200' west of Beltline Road and 2,900' north of LBJ Freeway. These
distances exceed the minimum suggested distances from divided
thoroughfares indicated in the zoning ordinance. Parallel to the ball fields
is a 38'-wide asphalt access easement that would serve as a temporary fire
lane provided the fire lane is constructed of asphalt capable of supporting a
40,000lb. load. If any additional buildings are added at a later date, a full
24'-wide concrete fire lane will be required by the Fire Department.
This new tower is proposed to be located in a commercial district. The
property around the site is zoned "LI" Light Industrial and "A" Agriculture.
From a land use perspective, the tower is situated in an appropriate
location. However, the zoning ordinance also encourages use of existing
towers as opposed to constructing new towers. Also, it encourages
minimizing the total number of towers throughout the community, as well
as promoting co-location, careful design, siting, landscape screening and
innovative camouflaging techniques.
There are 13 light fixtures ranging in height between 50' and 60' located
approximately 300' to 800' from the proposed antenna site. Staff had
requested that the applicant consider an existing ball field light fixture for
the antenna support structure. According to the applicant, the light
fixtures serving the ball fields will not be there for the long term. The ball
fields and light fixtures are there until the school district needs the
property for other uses. Therefore, the applicant is requesting the
construction of a 65'-high monopole and the placement of 4 metal metro-
cell unit cabinets totaling 36.5 square feet at the base of the structure.
Staff requests the exterior color of the cabinets be indicated on the
exhibits. Also, the plans indicate an 8' high chain link fence topped with 3
strands of barbed wire. Staff would prefer a green vinyl coated chain link
fence with no barbed wire. This is the first request for placement of a
barbed wire around the equipment cabinets and staff questions the need for
orle.
Item # 7
According to staffs research, the light fixtures at the fourplex youth
baseball field (field #$) belong to the City. There are no plans to move
baseball field #5 nor fields #6 and #7 (immediately east of the fourplex
baseball field). Planning staff can not support construction of a new
high monopole when there are 13 light fixtures ranging in height between
50' to 60' located in the vicinity. We encourage minimizing the adverse
visual impacts of towers.
Assuming that Fields 5, 6, and 7 are to remain, staff would encourage the
applicant to study the possibility of locating the antennas on the light
fixture between fields 6 and 7 and placing the equipment cabinets at the
south side of the 38-wide asphalt easement between the edge of pavement
and the southern property line. This will require the applicant to run a
cable underground across the 38'-wide access easement for an approximate
distance of 290'. The location of the cabinets would be less visible fxom
the fields, and would not interfere with the pedestrian activity around the
fields. This option would not involve extending the length of the access
easement that the applicant is required to do with this request. In either
case, the access road would require substantial improvement which the
applicant recognizes.
Applicant informed staff during the February 3, 2000 Development
Review Committee that the CISD will only entertain leasing to Sprint
PCS the 1,200 square feet of land at the southeast corner of the
Coppell Middle School West campus. The School District conveyed to
Sprint that they would not commit to any ballfield structures due to
the lack of permanency of those fixtures. However, on January 25,
2000 the City Council approved an inter-local cooperation agreement
between the City and CISD regarding joint use of property,
construction and usage of facilities which included the Coppell Middle
School West baseball complex and tennis facility. The term of the
agreement is for 40 years and thereafter will be automatically
renewed from year to year unless either party terminates the contract
sooner. The termination clause of the agreement states that any party
may terminate the agreement by giving 2 years prior written notice of
the date of termination to the other party. Therefore, barring any
unforeseeable termination of the agreement, staff is of the opinion
that the light fixtures at the baseball complex are rather permanent
structures.
Staff position remains firm that we can not support the construction
of a new 65'-high monopole. The ordinance clearly encourages
minimizing the total number of towers throughout the community and
it strongly encourages the joint use of existing towers as the primary
option rather than construction of additional towers. In essence, the
goals of the ordinance are to minimize the adverse visual impacts of
towers.
Item # 7
RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION:
Staff recommends denial of this request because we can not support
construction of the 65'-tall monopole at the southeast corner of the
Coppell Middle School West campus when there are 13 light fixtures
ranging in height between 50' to 60' located in close proximity. The
ordinance strongly encourages collocation, as well as minimizing the
total number of towers throughout the community.
Staffcould only recommend approval of the special use permit subject to the
following conditions being met:
1) Relocation of the antenna site to the existing light structure between
Fields # 6 and #7 with placement of the cabinets on the south side of the
asphalt access easement.
2) A full 24' fire lane is required to this site. A temporary fire lane will be
acceptable provided that the fire lane is constructed of asphalt capable of
supporting a 40,000-Ih. load. If the antenna and structures are moved to
another location as requested by the Planning staff, a fire lane shall be
within 150 feet of the structures, unless otherwise approved by the Fire
Marshall. If any additional buildings are added at a later date, a full 24'
concrete fire lane will be required. (See Fire Department comments)
3) Provide a legal description.
4) Adjust the Landscape Plan to indicate a green vinyl coated chain link
fence with no barbed wire.
5) Submission and approval of a color board showing all exterior building
materials.
6) Submission of irrigation plan.
7) The location of the equipment compound would need to be carefully
coordinated with the Leisure Services department should the applicant
choose to locate on certain of the existing ball field light poles. (See
Leisure Service Department comments.)
ALTERNATIVES: 1) Recommend approval of the request.
2) Recommend disapproval of the request
3) Recommend modification of the request
4) Take under advisement for reconsideration at a later date.
ATTACHMENTS: 1) Vicinity Map
2) Parent Tract & Access Easement Detail
3) Tower Elevation Drawing
4) Parent Tract & Access Easement Detail
5) Landscape Plan
6) Departmental Comments
Item # 7
Round Black dots are Sprint PCS Sites
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