The Lee's Summit Planning Commission on July 25 recommended approval of a special-use permit for a 160-foot telecommunications tower at the city’s Joint Operations facility on Northeast Tudor Road.

The action recommends city approval of application PL2025-118, a special-use permit that would allow a 150-foot monopole plus a 10-foot lightning rod on the south end of the new Joint Operations campus. Hector Soto Jr., the City’s senior planner, told the commission the hearing was limited to the tower’s location and that the project consolidates public-safety communications systems now housed on a privately leased tower.

"The application before you tonight is consideration solely for the location of the tower," Senior Planner Hector Soto Jr. said during his presentation. He described three requested modifications to the Unified Development Ordinance (UDO): a reduced setback from the south property line, an exception to the UDO’s 1-mile minimum separation between similar towers, and a finish exception to allow a galvanized (unpainted) monopole instead of a painted tower.

Applicant Alan Talkington of Tusk Consulting, representing the city project team, said he had no separate presentation beyond the submitted materials but was available for questions. "I have no presentation other than the submittal that has already been made. However, I am available ... to discuss or answer any questions that you may need to know," Talkington said.

Commission discussion focused on why the tower must be placed where proposed. Staff and the applicant said site constraints — existing parking, the new Joint Operations building footprint, covered parking, and overhead power lines — limited compliant locations that would satisfy the UDO setback equal to tower height (160 feet). The chosen location sits about 70 feet from the south property line, short of the 160-foot setback the UDO would ordinarily require, because most other sites inside the parcel are occupied or cross other constraints. Soto noted the green area shown in staff maps does meet the 160-foot setback from all property lines, but placing the tower there would reduce the separation from existing buildings and the ability to relocate equipment off a leased tower.

Commissioners also pressed staff and the applicant on aviation and federal reviews. Talkington said the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) review (Form 7460) is already in process and that FAA has said it will not approve anything taller than the proposed height because of nearby airport operations; FAA may request a lower height. Hector Soto said the city holds building permits for structures within a two-mile radius of the airport until FAA clearance is received and that any final building permit would be conditioned on that FAA clearance.

The project would use public-safety radio frequencies (800 MHz) and other frequencies described by the applicant. Talkington and staff said those frequencies are governed by federal rules (FCC Part 90) and the proposed tower would be used for public-safety communications, mutual-aid links (VHF), and microwave tower-to-tower links (6 GHz). A city rep said the hospital and local emergency providers use the same public-safety frequencies and staff do not expect the tower to cause safety issues for surrounding operations.

The application also asks permission for a galvanized (unpainted) finish for the monopole. Staff and the applicant argued galvanized finish avoids recurring maintenance and peeling that sometimes happens with painted towers; they noted a recent local tower was approved with a galvanized finish. Landscaping and screening were proposed: staggered double rows of evergreens at the southeast and southwest of the compound and black steel security fencing matching the existing secured perimeter around the police/courts campus.

After questions and discussion, a commissioner moved to recommend approval of PL2025-118 with the three modifications (setback, separation, and finish) and conditions described by staff, a second was made and the commission voted in favor. The Planning Commission’s recommendation was unanimous among commissioners who voted.

The Planning Commission vote and recommendation will go to city council for final action; building permits for the tower will not be issued until required federal (FAA) clearances and any other permit conditions are satisfied. Hector Soto said the Joint Operations building construction is scheduled to be completed in mid-2026; staff noted the tower permit and related work will be sequenced with the overall campus construction.

Votes at a glance: Application PL2025-118 — Special-use permit for a 160-foot telecommunications tower at the Joint Operations facility (Northeast Tudor Road). Planning Commission: Recommend approval; recorded votes in the hearing were affirmative (see actions).