Nextel-CS 961121CITY OF COPPELL
PLANNING DEPARTMENT
STAFF REPORT
CASE NO.: S-1118, NEXTEL
TELECOn~IlVIUNICATIONS TOWER
P & Z HEARING DATE: November 21, 1996
C.C. HEARING DATE: December 10, 1996
LOCATION: At the northeast corner of Coppell Road and S.H. 121, with the
S.U.P. portion located approx. 726' east of S.H. 121 as measured
along the north side of Coppell Road.
SIZE OF AREA: Total: 7.2 acres
Special Use Permit Area: 2,500 s.f.
CURRENT ZONING: C (Commercial)
REQUEST: LI and LI-S.U.P. (Light Industrial and Light Industrial, Special
Use Permit).
APPLICANT: Applicant:
Nextel of Texas, Inc.
1333 Corporate Drive, #230
Irving, TX 75038
(972) 756-5112
HISTORY: No zoning history. The 1996 Comprehensive Master Plan shows
this property suitable for Light Industrial uses.
TRANSPORTATION: Coppell Road is a two-lane undivided street within a right-of--way
approximately 50 feet wide.
Item # 6
SURROUNDING LAND USE & ZONING:
North - vacant, "C" Commercial zoning
South - vacant, "HC" Highway Commercial zoning
East - vacant, "A" Agriculture zoning
West - State Highway 121, vacant, "C" Commercial and "A" Agriculture
zoning
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN: The Comprehensive Plan shows the property suitable for
Light Industrial use.
DISCUSSION: The cellular phone industry is growing very rapidly. It is possible that the
City of Coppell could have dozens of radio towers over 100 feet high next
to its freeways and thoroughfares within the next three years. For this
reason the planning staff thought it appropriate to consult with the newly
formed "Committee to Improve the Visual Image of Coppell". That
committee's reaction was negative to this proposal.
In fairness to the applicant, if the response is to be negative, the City
should be prepared to tell the applicant where and under what
circumstances the City will approve additional communication towers, so
that it can seek an acceptable alternative site. First, we believe that the
use of existing monopoles is generally permissible. There are hundreds
available, such as electric utility poles, highway light standards, stadium
light standards and the like. Second, antennae can be incorporated within
buildings of sufficient height, such as church steeples, for example. (St.
Ann's currently has such a use in its retail center clock tower. The
Fellowship of Las Colinas construction on Highway 121 two miles south
might provide that kind of opportunity.) Third, additional monopoles
might be permissible if located in relationship to their height a distance
sufficiently far from freeways and thoroughfares. We believe an
appropriate distance to be at least ten times the height of such a structure.
In this case, the antenna is proposed to be 132 feet high at a distance of
approximately 600 feet from Highway 121 at the Denton Creek bridge,
and clearly visible from that point.
Factors in favor of the application include a valley location and the
presence of several 110'-high electric transmission poles close by. A
valley location, as opposed to a hilltop location, provides a visual
backdrop against which a tower is less noticeable. It could be argued that
the presence of the transmission poles, in the general vicinity of the
proposed use, might be an acceptable alternate location for this proposal.
Item # 6
RECOMMENDATION TO THE PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION:
The planning staff recommends disapproval of the application in favor of
a location that meets one of the three criteria stated above.
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) Title Sheet
2) Architectural Site Plan
3) Elevations
4) Survey, Legal Description, Vicinity Map
Item # 6