PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION AGENDA ITEM
ACTION REQUESTED:
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Conduct the public hearing to consider a conditional use and a variance from Section 6-13-10:5.3.1 to allow for a new telecommunications tower on the property located at 1301 Clyde Dr. - PZC 24-1-124
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DEPARTMENT: Transportation, Engineering and Development
SUBMITTED BY: Brad Iwicki, Assistant Planner
ENTITLEMENTS REQUESTED:
1. A conditional use to allow a new communication facility in a residential district;
2. A variance from Section 6-13-10:5.3.1 (General Requirements: Setbacks) to permit a communications facility which does not meet the required setback from a residential use or district.
BOARD/COMMISSION REVIEW:
Official notice for the public hearing for PZC 24-1-124 was published in the Naperville Sun on January 19, 2025, in anticipation of the February 5th Planning and Zoning Commission (PZC) meeting. At the February 5th meeting, the PZC concurred with the Petitioner’s request to open the public hearing and continue this item to the March 19th PZC meeting.
BACKGROUND:
The petitioner, Ray Shinkle, T-Mobile Central, LLC., with authorization from the property owner, City of Naperville (“the City”), has submitted a Petition for Development Approval to allow a new telecommunications tower to be constructed at 1301 Clyde Dr., generally located at the southwest corner of the 75th St. and Clyde Dr. intersection. The property is currently improved with a 160-foot-tall water tower, pump house and buried reservoir that provides the City of Naperville water service, an equipment shelter and records storage building.
The City has leased space on the water tower to various telecommunications companies, including T-Mobile and Verizon, for approximately 30 years. Verizon’s lease was initiated in August of 1993, and T-Mobile’s lease began in August of 2000 and will expire in August 2025.
Telecommunication facilities in the City are regulated by Chapter 13 (Regulations for Telecommunication Facilities, Radio, Satellite and Television Antenna Towers and Dishes) of the Naperville Municipal Code. On April 4, 2018, Ordinance 18-031 was approved to amend Chapter 13 of the Municipal Code and included provisions prohibiting the attachment of non-City-owned communications facilities to City-owned water towers in all zoning districts.
Since T-Mobile’s current lease on the 1301 Clyde Drive water tower will expire later this year, and the City cannot renew the lease for space on the water tower, T-Mobile is seeking approval of an alternative location for their equipment to ensure no gaps in coverage are experienced by T-Mobile customers. Upon expiration of the lease, all T-Mobile equipment will be removed from the water tower.
T-Mobile proposes leasing space from the City of Naperville to allow for construction of a new freestanding telecommunications tower with mounted antennas on the same parcel as the existing water tower and the company’s existing facilities. The proposed tower has been designed to accommodate additional carriers in the future as well.
Dependent upon approval of the entitlement requests outlined in this report, T-Mobile will be authorized by the City of Naperville, through the Department of Public Utilities - Water/Wastewater, to lease and repurpose the existing records storage building as a communications support facility. Verizon and AT&T are anticipated to co-locate antennas on the tower, at which point there will be no cellular facilities on the City’s water tower, and maintain operational equipment in the shelter. No City-owned telecommunication equipment will be installed on the proposed tower.
Staff notes that nothing in the current lease obligates the City to approve a tower in this location. This request is for the benefit of the private utility and will have no impact on existing or future public infrastructure or the operations and maintenance of City-owned utilities on site.
DISCUSSION:
Conditional Use:
Pursuant to Section 6-13-5:1.1 of the Municipal Code, approval of a conditional use is required for new telecommunication towers proposed on property in residential districts. Accordingly, the petitioner has requested approval of a conditional use to permit an approximately 191.5-foot-tall telecommunications tower to be constructed on a property zoned R1A (Low Density Single-Family Residence District).
As noted in the Background section of this report, T-Mobile has existing equipment on the subject property (on top of the water tower) that will need to be removed upon lease expiration later this year. The petitioner has indicated that installing new equipment in an alternative location is not viable as significant coverage gaps would occur. To continue to provide a quality level of service, T-Mobile proposes constructing a new freestanding telecommunications tower on the same site as the company’s existing equipment.
The proposed telecommunications tower will be constructed adjacent to the storage building on the subject property, between the existing, 160-foot-tall water tower and an approximately 120-foot-tall transmission tower that carries overhead facilities along the north property line, adjacent to the 75th Street right-of-way. (The petitioner notes that the existing antennae panel and lightning pole on top of the water tower increase the total height of all water tower components to approximately 191 feet.)
The proposed telecommunications tower is approximately 191.5 feet tall. The petitioner states that this height is necessary to ensure the water tower does not interfere with the telecommunications equipment and to increase coverage, therefore benefiting the City as the tower’s wireless technology provides services that communicate vital information and emergency assistance. To improve the appearance of the site and to screen the facilities from a street-level perspective, the petitioner will install a solid fence and landscaping on the property.
The proposed tower will have the capacity for additional carriers to collocate, expanding the use beyond a single carrier and serving a larger population. The proposed tower will be painted white for consistency with the water tower and transmission towers. Staff finds the proposal to be appropriate since telecommunication equipment has been operational on the property for approximately 30 years, staff has determined there will be no negative impact to City services and utilities on-site, and the property will continue to be used for utility purposes.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Conditional Use can be found in the attachments. Upon review, staff agrees with the petitioner’s Findings and recommends their adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Setback Variances
Per Section 6-13-10:5.3.1 (General Requirements: Setbacks) of the Naperville Municipal Code, a setback equal to at least 200% of the height of the tower shall be required for any lot line abutting or across a public right-of-way from a residential use or district. Residential uses and districts are adjacent to the property on all four sides. Given the height of the tower is approximately 191.5 feet, a 383-foot setback from each property line is required per code. The petitioner requests approval of setback variances as the proposed tower has a 65-foot setback along the property’s Clyde Drive frontage; a 135-foot setback from the west property line/adjacent to Lincoln Junior High; a 45-foot setback along 75th Street; and, a 228-foot setback from the south property line.
To support the setback variances, and in response to staff’s request, the petitioner has provided drawings depicting the weakest point of the tower (which is approximately 50 feet from the top), and the fall radius that may be impacted in the rare instance the tower should fail at the breaking point. These drawings are available in the attachments. Upon review, staff notes that the fall radius is restricted to the subject property or adjacent public rights-of-way and does not impact adjacent residential properties or Lincoln Junior High. The petitioner’s structural engineer has further stated that in the rare instance that the tower should fail at the breaking point, the monopole should bend at the weakest point and fold over itself. A Structural Design Report stamped by a structural engineer has been provided and is also included in the attachments.
City staff has reviewed the information provided and finds the requested setback variances to be appropriate. The proposed telecommunications tower is found to be consistent with the purpose of the Telecommunications Code by contributing toward the goal of ensuring reliable wireless services in our community. Staff is supportive of the petitioner’s request.
Findings of Fact
The petitioner’s responses to the Standards for Granting a Zoning Variance can be found in the attachments. Upon review, staff agrees with the petitioner’s Findings and recommends their adoption by the Planning and Zoning Commission.
Key Takeaways
• The petitioner is requesting a conditional use to allow a new communication facility in a residential district and a variance to Section 6-13-10:5.3.1 to permit a communications facility on the property at 1301 Clyde Dr.
• Staff is in support of the request, finding that the proposed telecommunication tower will maintain communication services in the City and be in alignment with the purpose of the Regulations for Telecommunications Facilities in the Municipal Code