San Clemente design panel reviews American Tower plan to replace lattice tower with 120‑foot monopole

The Design Review Subcommittee of the City of San Clemente on Sept. 24 discussed an application from American Tower Corporation to replace an existing lattice communications tower with a 120‑foot monopole, offering nonbinding design and site‑compatibility recommendations to staff.

The presentation by city planner Jonathan (staff) said the site lies on a privately owned parcel within open space near Del Dios and is accessed via an easement from the Salvador reservoir property. He said the original conditional permit (C‑1021) was approved by the County of Orange in 1962 at 70 feet, the tower had been expanded to about 138 feet at an unknown date, and under a voluntary compliance step in 2023 the tower’s height was reduced to 70 feet.

Jonathan said federal law limits local regulation of radio frequency (RF) emissions and that the Federal Communications Commission, under the Telecommunications Act, sets RF standards. He described a 2023 settlement among the city, American Tower and the Harborview Estates homeowners association that led American Tower to agree to submit this application for a 120‑foot monopole; the settlement also said that if the city does not approve the monopole application as submitted, the lattice tower may remain at the existing 70‑foot height with…