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Plan commission approves 80-foot radio tower for Orland Park police backup dispatch center
Summary
The Orland Park Plan Commission voted to recommend approval of a special use permit for an 80-foot lattice radio tower at the Police Department training facility to serve as a backup dispatch and emergency communications antenna site, subject to standard staff conditions.
An 80-foot lattice radio tower to support the Orland Park Police Department’s backup dispatch and emergency communications center won Plan Commission approval during a public hearing.
The proposed tower, for installation at the police department firing range and emergency operations center at 10609 West 160th Place, is intended to serve the backup dispatch center and the emergency communications system, the applicant said. Richard Dalzell, support services manager for the Orland Park Police Department and 901 system manager for the joint emergency telephone system board, told the commission the tower would be sited within a fenced vehicle‑seizure lot and would not be co‑located with other carriers.
Staff told commissioners the lattice design complies with the Village Land Development Code requirements for wireless communication facilities and noted the tower would sit more than 1,000 feet from the nearest residential property, above the 500‑foot minimum adjacent‑residential setback. Staff recommended approval subject to the planning department’s standard conditions.
During questioning, commissioners asked why a lattice tower was proposed rather than a monopole. Dalzell said a monopole “would effectively block a good portion of the signal and degrade our capability” because the police use several multi‑band antennas and require propagation in multiple directions across the village.
Following the staff presentation and a brief public hearing with no speakers, Commissioner Ned Schuessler moved to approve the staff recommendation; Commissioner Dave Shalaby seconded. The motion carried and the commission recorded its approval to advance the case to the Village Board process under the staff conditions.
The action as approved at the Plan Commission is a recommendation; final permitting and any construction approvals will proceed through the Village’s development and building permit reviews, and must meet the standard conditions specified in the staff report.
