Taft Planning Commission approves unmanned fiber hut on city property

The Taft Planning Commission voted 4-0 on July 16 to approve Conditional Use Permit (CUP) 2025-06 for an unmanned prefabricated telecommunications “fiber hut” on city-owned property at the northeast corner of Highway 33 and Petroleum Club Road.

Planning Department staff described the proposal as a 46-by-55-foot fenced enclosure to install a 12-by-20-foot unmanned prefabricated telecommunications fiber hut, an emergency backup generator and an underground propane tank on city property. "Tonight's item was submitted by Tilson Technology Management on behalf of the California Department of Technology," Planning Department spokesman Luke Reisner said during the hearing.

The project site is vacant and is in the General Commercial zone. Reisner said the California Department of Technology is in the process of securing a lease agreement with the city for use of the property. He told commissioners staff found the application met the development standards of the general commercial zone and consistent with the general plan, and staff recommended approval.

Michelle Thompson, representing applicant Tilson Technology Management, told the commission that the propane tank would be underground. "The propane tank is actually underground," she said, adding the applicant would consider protective bollards suggested by commissioners.

Michael Long, speaking for the applicant’s construction team, described the schedule: "Our ideal construction schedule is to start in the first quarter of next year and obtain permits this year," and he said the work is part of a larger broadband initiative with a hard funding and construction deadline at the end of 2026.

Commissioners asked whether the proposed placement would hinder possible future road widening at the nearby intersection and whether protective measures such as bollards should be required to protect the enclosure and the underground tank. Reisner said the enclosure would sit roughly more than 70 feet from the travel lane and that bollards could be required as a condition of approval. The applicant indicated willingness to consider bollards.

The motion, read into the record by a commissioner, adopted a resolution titled "A resolution of the Planning Commission of the City of Taft approving Conditional Use Permit Number 2025-06 to construct a 46-foot by 55-foot fenced enclosure to install a 12-foot by 20-foot unmanned prefabricated telecommunications fiber hut along with an emergency backup generator and an underground propane tank on city-owned property within the General Commercial (C-CH) zone district at the northeast corner of Highway 33 and Petroleum Club Road, APN 220-29010 and 220-04205, and find that the project is exempt from the requirements of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to CEQA Guidelines section 15303 (new construction of small structures)." A second was recorded and the commission approved the resolution on a 4-0 vote.

As approved, the project moves to permitting and lease steps. Planning staff said the applicant plans to obtain required building permits this year and start construction in early 2026, subject to final lease and permit approvals and the larger broadband program timeline. The applicant and staff indicated ongoing coordination with the city manager and building department.