HomeMy WebLinkAboutDept Report 03-24-14 CARMEL BOARD OF ZONING APPEALS
DEPARTMENT REPORT
MARCH 24, 2014
1-3. (SU, V)Keystone Woods Cell Tower
The applicant seeks the following special use approval and variances for a new cell tower in a residential
district:
Docket No. 14020014 SE ZO CH 25.13: Towers: Permitted as Special Exception in Residential
Districts
Docket No. 14020015 V ZO CH 25.13.i: Min setback 250 ft, 125 ft requested from north
Docket No. 14020016 V ZO CH 26.01.04: Max Height 120 ft, 150 ft requested
The site is located northeast of Keystone Parkway and 106th Street, and is zoned S-2/Residence within the
Keystone Overlay. Filed by Jennifer Jones with JB Towers, LLC.
ry. �ti ill . - ; General Info:
�- I The Petitioner requests Special Exception
i ' , ' approval for a new cell tower northeast of
; �'� � b �' �; ,, Keystone Parkway and 106 Street. This site is
I:. ;-.7,`
. , ; } 'fix . , th
n A,L flanked by Keystone Parkway to the west, 106•44.4 , ' 1.1 ' T ' 4 -I' Street to the south, and Lakeshore Drive W to
• ,= " ' ,. - the east. Directly north of the property are
ti � � _ Y P Prh
*^ i X' ""`t� � LL ";";-;.4-4,,,I=.%-. ° ' single family homes and northeast is Forest Dale ilj t l p, :� + , yT-- Elementary School. The Petitioner is also
r•
'� 1 �'1 `= O F ' ' requesting a variance to increase the tower-ic!i �' �, '^` - _, `` T � - zt height to 150 feet and to reduce the minimum
v.,. t, W, setback to 125 ft. Please refer to the
,,,, \` \ '4 t "' ' petitioner's information packet for more
. 'f 5� 1 ,' : 41 ° details.
�RY'� I ��.. ter✓p '' r
; 9A - ., ✓_, - LL -.' Analysis 306TNTRET" ' -. '
✓ °° ,40 R-- *41* fl Locating a communications tower in a
'�-„ i 't . � '' �� `''-4 '"" Residential District requires the grant of a
� 7/0c,:� t ss
` l Special Exception to ensure that the tower will
:P4-1,,W: ' : I 1 , 1,,,i'
' ,� °T i ii' �` not have a negative effect on surrounding
s; — ,� It t,il "I �k:0:4'®�." � �7 _,.:J,
- - .4,-.-- -4'.- �`. --"'" - -'''-- R' properties or the community; or be obviously
inappropriate for the site. This tower is actually locating on land owned by the Homeowners Association of Keystone
Woods subdivision and is currently used for their swim club and tennis courts. The swim club and a tennis court will
remain, and the tower proposal has support from numerous residents in the subdivision, including several of the
homeowners with parcels directly abutting the tower site. (A petition signed by neighbors is included in the petitioner's
packet.) The area around the tower and equipment shelter will be surrounded by a 6 foot wooden fence and a 15 foot
landscape buffer. The tower will not be lit.
The proposed cellular tower will aid in providing more cellular and data coverage in the surrounding area. The tower is
proposed at 150 feet tall, which is over the 120 feet permitted for a residential district. This additional height will allow
for the best use of this tower by allowing more carriers to locate on the tower and hopefully reducing the need for an
additional tower in the immediate area in the near future. The proposed tower project also includes a variance request for
the setbacks. A 250 foot setback is required from surrounding residential properties, and the petitioner is proposing 125
ft. The reduced setback will permit a better location on the site by placing the tower in the middle of an existing wooded
area. Many of the trees surrounding the cell tower site will be preserved which will help to screen the tower and the
associated equipment. While the tower will still be taller than the trees, it should blend in better to the surrounding area,
especially at ground level.
The intent of permitting towers and encouraging co-location is to provide the broadest range of coverage possible, while
keeping the necessary infrastructure as visually unobtrusive as possible. This tower is proposed to be a monopole tower
and the department has requested that the antennas on the tower be flush-mounted to the tower so that they will have the
4
smallest profile possible and be more aesthetically pleasing. The department would also be in favor of internally-mounted
antennas. The intent is to provide a tower that not only provides greater service to the area, but does not detract from the
area. The Department is in support of the special exception and variance requests.
Petitioner's Findings of Fact
Please refer to the petitioner's information packet for their Findings of Fact.
Recommendation: After all comments and concerns have been addressed The Dept. of Community Services
recommends positive consideration of Docket Nos. 14020014 SE and 14020015-16 V with the commitment that the
antennas will be flush-mounted to the tower or internally-mounted and that colocation will be permitted and
accommodated on the tower.
5