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Flagstaff-area plan staff flag 150-foot cell tower proposal near Doney Park for review
Summary
County staff previewed a conditional use permit (CUP25018) for a proposed 150-foot monopole wireless tower and associated equipment on Loop Road in the Doney Park industrial area; staff said the tower would close a documented coverage gap and that RF emissions cannot be considered by the commission.
Coconino County planning staff presented a study-session preview of CUP25018, a conditional use permit application for a 150-foot monopole wireless telecommunications facility on Loop Road in the Doney Park industrial area.
"This request is for a conditional use permit for a 150 foot wireless telecommunications facility," Planning staffer Zach Schwartz told commissioners, describing the proposal to place 64 small antennas on 5-foot elements within a fenced 60-by-60-foot lease area and to locate ground equipment including cabinets and a backup generator on the site.
The subject property, a 3.2-acre parcel owned by Blackheart Logistics (a Flagstaff towing company), sits inside a heavy-industrial-zoned block along Loop Road that abuts residential zoning to the south. Staff showed photo simulations and coverage maps the applicant provided; the maps show an existing cellular coverage gap in the area and the applicant's modeling shows the proposed installation would close it.
Staff said the zoning ordinance ranks new towers in heavy-industrial zones as a permitted but mid-ranked facility type and noted the commission must decide whether the proposed tower is the "least intrusive means" to close the coverage gap. Staff reminded the commission it may not consider radio-frequency emissions, noting that FCC rules limit local authority on RF concerns.
What staff will analyze for a future staff report: comprehensive-plan and zoning conformance, landscape and screening, fencing and fall radius, and whether the proposal meets the ordinance's preference hierarchy for siting telecommunications. The applicant also supplied visual simulations and a fall-zone analysis showing the tower would collapse within the property footprint.
Why it matters: Providers and communities increasingly seek additional cellular and data coverage in growing fringe neighborhoods. The commission must weigh infrastructure needs against visual impact and proximity to residences, and apply the county's siting preferences and conditional-use standards.
Next steps: Staff will prepare a full analysis and a staff report for the commission's June public hearing that will include additional mapping, ordinance analysis and recommendations.
