Planning commission backs recommendation for 185-foot wireless tower near I-40

The Needles City Planning Commission voted to recommend City Council approval of a conditional use permit for a 185-foot wireless telecommunications tower and associated equipment on land between National Old Trails Highway and Interstate 40 (APN 0660-162-07-0000).

The permit, submitted by APC Towers with Verizon Wireless as the initial tenant, would allow a 185-foot monopole and a roughly 2,500-square-foot (50-by-50-foot) leased equipment enclosure with an 8-foot security fence and privacy screening. Planning staff said the change amends an earlier approval for a 160-foot monopole granted Jan. 3, 2024.

In a staff presentation, Planning Department presenter Irene Romero described the project and the reasons for the height increase. Romero said the amendment “is to enhance wireless coverage, improve network reliability, and support future colocation of multiple carriers, which will help reduce the need for additional towers in the area.” She noted the site plan places the leased area near an existing AT&T tower and a lattice facility to the north.

During public comment, applicant representative Ben Pomeroy said the proposed height was necessary to achieve the coverage target for the area. “The FCC creates requirements of every licensee to not interfere with other licensees, and they go through a pretty rigorous reporting protocol for that,” Pomeroy said. He added that the FAA condition included in the staff recommendation is acceptable to the applicant.

Commissioners asked about compliance with federal rules and the project’s relationship to nearby towers. Planning staff and the applicant said the project must comply with Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Communications Commission regulations and that lighting, tower lighting requirements, site maintenance, security fencing and a prohibition on signs would be among the conditions of approval. A commissioner noted that the city’s notice radius for land-use notices is 300 feet; staff confirmed the development-code notice requirement was followed and that a public notice also ran in the Desert Star.

The commission moved to adopt Planning Commission Resolution No. 03-05-2025 (recommending City Council approval of the conditional use permit). The motion received a second and the chair called the question; the record indicates the motion carried and the commission closed the public hearing. The planning commission’s recommendation will go to City Council for final action.

The record and plan materials show the leased area is about 2,500 square feet and that the applicant says the tower was redesigned from a previously approved 160-foot monopole to a 185-foot monopole to enable broader coverage and potential future tenants. Building permits and structural review remain required before construction, and staff said the applicant must obtain any required FAA determinations and the city’s building-safety permits.

The planning staff report and the applicant noted that APC Towers intends to rent space to multiple carriers; Verizon Wireless is identified as the initial tenant. The planning commission’s recommendation does not itself authorize construction; City Council must take final action and building-permit review remains a separate permitting step.

Votes at a glance: the commission moved and seconded to adopt Planning Commission Resolution No. 03-05-2025 recommending City Council approval of the conditional use permit for a 185-foot wireless telecommunications tower; the motion was approved (tally not specified in the transcript).