Commission approves permanent 100‑ft monopine 'stealth' tower to replace temporary Verizon unit; maintenance condition requires living‑tree appearance be kept '
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Summary
The commission approved a special use permit to replace a temporary cellular on wheels (COW) with a permanent 100‑foot “monopine” stealth tower at 1281 North Rupes Street, including a maintenance requirement that the artificial tree remain green and screening be replaced if damaged.
The Planning Commission approved a special use permit to replace a temporary Verizon cellular on wheels with a permanent 100‑foot monopine stealth telecommunications tower at 1281 North Rupes Street.
Staff planner Heather Manzo explained the site’s master plan designation is corridor mixed use following the May 1 master plan adoption and that the proposed permanent location is on the same property as the temporary COW. The existing COW is 67 feet tall; the new structure is proposed at 100 feet, under the municipal code cap of 120 feet for telecommunications facilities. Staff explained the applicant sited the permanent tower as far east on the parcel as practicable to increase distance from nearby residential uses; the code requires a minimum separation set as a multiple of height (the code requires a 400‑foot minimum in this case because of the structure’s height and setback formula) and staff reported the proposed location exceeds that minimum.
Staff clarified an item in the packet: a public comment included on a previous COW application had been inadvertently attached to this application; staff had not received new public comments on the monopine application. Commissioners asked the applicant to accept a maintenance condition requiring the owner to maintain the artificial screening branches to the originally approved appearance and to replace damaged screening to keep the monopine looking like a tree; commissioners also requested the monopine remain green (staff agreed to modify the condition language to require a green tree structure and periodic maintenance assurances).
Yvonne Pinto (Verizon Municipal Engagement) and Dina Manes (Epic Wireless) said they accepted the 13 conditions of approval, including the added maintenance condition. A member of the public expressed concerns about increments in wireless infrastructure and proximity to apartments and about 5G impacts; staff responded that the temporary COW is 67 feet tall and met setback requirements and that the proposed tower will be further from the nearest residentially zoned property.
A motion to approve special use permit LU2025‑0152 was made and seconded; the commission approved the permit subject to the staff conditions including the added maintenance condition requiring the monopine be maintained and remain green.
