Franklin Park consultants propose three new macro sites and about 15 small cells to improve coverage; zoning changes may be needed

Susan, a Cityscape consultant, told the Franklin Park Borough Council on Tuesday that Cityscape and Federal Engineering are completing a wireless master plan covering commercial wireless and public-safety needs.

The plan proposes three new macrocell locations and about 15 small wireless facilities to reduce the borough’s address points with limited or no outdoor coverage from 57% now to about 23% with three macro sites and further to about 15% if the proposed small cells are added, Susan said. She added that one proposed macro site (PM01) is “really kind of in the middle of the borough” and would fill a cluster of coverage gaps.

Why it matters: Poor wireless coverage can affect everyday mobile service and public-safety radio performance in pockets of the borough. The plan is meant to balance coverage gains with minimizing tower height and number of new sites.

Susan said the borough currently has two macrocells (both monopoles) and four single-tenant small wireless facilities. The consultants advised locating new macro sites so they provide the most coverage with the fewest sites at the lowest feasible height; they recommended keeping heights below 200 feet where possible to avoid FAA lighting requirements. The team identified three potential macro locations: a central site (PM01) to bridge existing coverage, a site near Ingemar School (PM02) and a southern location near a religious institution or, as an alternate, the Cloverhill Golf Course (the latter would require a taller tower and lighting).

The presenters noted zoning constraints that affect siting. Susan said towers are allowed in R-1 and R-2 districts, but nonresidential lots must be at least 50 acres to qualify under current code; many candidate lots in the central search ring do not meet that threshold or are occupied by single-family homes. She said the borough may need to consider zoning changes to place a tower where engineers judged it most effective.

The consultants also recommended small wireless facilities to fill remaining gaps. Those small cells are intended for multi-tenant colocation, but Susan warned that the borough’s existing small wireless poles are single-tenant and that if carriers do not share sites, the community could see three to four times as many poles as the multi-tenant plan anticipates. “If the industry isn’t sharing small wireless facility sites, you’re gonna end up with 3 to 4 times as many,” she said.

On public-safety coverage, Travis LePage of Federal Engineering summarized stakeholder outreach to local police, fire, public works, borough administration and Allegheny County. He said Allegheny County is upgrading its public-safety radio system and that the county has told the borough it expects to provide about “98% coverage geographically throughout the borough.” He cautioned the council that the consultants could help with independent testing and with procurement or fleet mapping if the borough wanted to verify county coverage in the specific local gaps raised by the borough.

Council members and staff asked technical and policy questions. Tom Schwartzmeyer asked whether small cell poles are typically shared; Susan replied that multi-tenant poles exist but carriers often prefer exclusive control, so sharing is not yet common. Another participant (Luke) questioned the county coverage figure and noted that “98% coverage countywide” can still leave local gaps inside the borough; Travis and consultants agreed independent testing and coordination with the county would be appropriate.

Next steps: Susan said Cityscape will finalize the next draft of the commercial wireless master plan and expects to deliver it in the next couple of weeks. The contract includes an optional in-person public presentation. Council members discussed potential code updates (zoning, right-of-way standards, and a preference for colocation) and how to route any ordinance changes through planning and council committees for further review.

Quotes: “We are doing a master wireless master plan for commercial wireless and public safety,” Susan said. “You will be receiving approximately 98% coverage geographically throughout the borough,” Travis said was the county’s stated expectation for the upgraded Allegheny County system.

Ending: The consultants will deliver a revised draft document to the borough and indicated they can assist with implementation steps (testing, procurement, and public presentation). Council members directed staff to consider code updates and committee routing to follow up on the recommendations.