Vice Chairperson Jason Anderson said the Planning Commission adopted a resolution approving an amendment that expands the lease area for a Verizon telecommunications facility at 2605 Trafficway, near the Potrero Road intersection.

The amendment, case AMND25-0019, increases the compound from roughly 580 square feet to 1,000 square feet and keeps the previously approved tower and enclosure design, including a block wall and perimeter landscaping. Vice Chairperson Jason Anderson read the motion to adopt the draft resolution and the commission approved it by a 6-0 roll call vote.

Planning staff said the amended design continues to meet zoning and development standards for the site, which is zoned public with Planned Development Overlay No. 35, and that the project qualifies for a Class 3 categorical exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act. Eric, a planning staff presenter, told the commission the requested expansion would allow additional equipment and future colocation by other carriers while maintaining required screening and design standards. "This is the Verizon telecommunications facility project on 2605 Trafficway," Eric said during his presentation.

The applicant, Pete Shubin of Sequoia Deployment Services, which represents Verizon Wireless, said the change was proposed now to avoid later demolition and rework: "We thought it would be best to build out the enclosure early... and then let the equipment go in without it being remodeled and chopped and remodeled later on in the future," Shubin said.

Commissioners and staff explained the site changes and the conditions attached to approval. Staff noted the compound will continue to be enclosed with a split-block wall finished in a natural color to match the site, and perimeter landscaping will be required to break up the massing of the wall. The amendment reduces the site's parking count by one space; code allows that lost space to be replaced with a bike rack, and staff added a condition requiring installation of a rack.

Commissioner Derek (first name provided in the record) asked about the nine-foot concrete masonry unit wall and what planting will be required to screen it. Eric described proposed columnar plantings such as manzanita to soften the wall and said detailed landscape plans will be required on the construction drawings. Shubin confirmed landscape and construction plans are included with the project submittal.

Commissioners also questioned on-site backup power. Vice Chairperson Anderson and the applicant explained the site includes a diesel generator and double-walled fuel tank to meet a California requirement for approximately 72 hours of backup power. Pete Shubin described the tank as a monitored, double-walled design that alarms if the inner wall leaks and said the tank size is in the roughly 200-gallon range, dependent on manufacturer. "It is registered, and maintained by the the tank type where it is," Shubin said, adding that fuel deliveries would occur through a secured gate and that generator and fueling equipment are locked and enclosed.

Staff emphasized ongoing maintenance obligations: screening must be preserved, and equipment replacements over the life of the facility will come through permits that give the city opportunities to inspect and require repairs if landscaping or faux-tree screening degrades. Eric said staff prefers co-location on single structures to avoid proliferation of separate towers.

The commission approved the amendment by a 6-0 roll call vote. The motion, as read into the record, adopted the draft resolution approving amendment AMND25-0019 to the previously approved conditional use permit, allowing the expansion of the lease area to 1,000 square feet at APN 049-063-003, subject to findings and the conditions of approval discussed in staff materials.

The commission’s action authorizes the amended conditional use permit; it does not approve additional carriers or equipment beyond what is permitted by the amended lease area and conditions. Future equipment changes that require permits will be reviewed for code and permit compliance.