ARB continues AT&T streetlight wireless permit after public and member concerns about size, concealment and missing data

Palo Alto — The Architectural Review Board on Sept. 18 held a public hearing on AT&T’s request to modify an existing wireless communications site on a city-owned streetlight pole near 1661 Page Mill Road and voted to continue the item to Oct. 16 with direction to the applicant to provide additional information.

City planner Nishida (project planner) presented the application as a Tier 2 wireless-collocation request to modify equipment on an existing metal streetlight pole in the public right-of-way. The proposal would remove older equipment and install two panel antennas, three radio units mounted in shrouds on the pole, associated cabling, safety signage and one disconnect box. Staff’s report recommended that the director of planning and development services approve the application subject to the wireless development standards and the ARB findings supplied in the staff packet.

Assistant City Attorney Aylin Belier reviewed federal and state legal constraints governing wireless siting, including the federal limitations in 47 U.S.C. §332(c)(7), FCC rules on shot-clock timelines and the FCC 2018 small-cell order; she noted local review must avoid decisions that would be based on RF emissions (the FCC is sole authority on RF safety). Staff said an application completeness review had triggered a notice of incomplete earlier in the process and that the project’s federal shot clock (for a Tier 2 action) would run to Oct. 28 unless extended by agreement.

The applicant (Justin Jurita,…