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Board approves rooftop wireless facility at 725 Teraval after developer and planners defend technical need
Summary
After an appeal and community input, the Board approved a conditional‑use authorization allowing AT&T to install nine screened panel antennas and equipment at 725 Teraval Street to address a local coverage and capacity gap; the Planning Commission’s unanimous approval was sustained by the Board.
The Board of Supervisors approved a conditional‑use authorization allowing AT&T to install a rooftop wireless telecommunications facility at 725 Teraval Street, concluding the application met planning‑code criteria and that public‑safety and RF‑exposure review would occur at the building‑permit stage.
AT&T representatives described a local coverage and capacity gap and presented an alternative‑site analysis that examined more than 100 candidate sites; the company said this rooftop location best addressed the service shortfall. The carrier proposed nine panel antennas mounted behind RF‑transparent screening and associated electronics in the building basement. AT&T said the installation would replace a small omnidirectional microsite that had limited range and could not provide sufficient data capacity for the corridor.
The appellant, who spoke for local residents, argued the Planning Code requires antennas to be sited inside buildings in neighborhood commercial districts and questioned whether alternatives — including upgrades to the existing network backbone, fiber and router improvements, or other municipal sites — had been adequately considered. The Planning Department and the applicant said the planning code explicitly treats wireless facilities as a public use that may be sited outside buildings and that the location had been evaluated as a preferred site under the wireless siting guidelines. Planning staff reviewed radio‑frequency (RF) reports and a third‑party engineering analysis by Hammett & Edison and concluded the project was compatible with neighborhood character and public safety.
AT&T noted that rooftop screening would be designed to match the building facade and that technicians would access antennas as needed for maintenance; final construction plans and firefighter clearances will be reviewed by the Department of Building Inspection, the Fire Department and the Department of Public Health at permitting. The Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the conditional‑use authorization on Sept. 19.
Supervisor Norman Yee moved to approve the Planning Commission’s decision at the Board; the motion carried on a recorded vote after a brief discussion and an excusal of one supervisor, with 10 ayes recorded.
Ending: The rooftop installation is now authorized to proceed to the permit stage where technical permit reviews and inspections will evaluate fire‑safety clearances, structural plans and RF emission compliance before activation. The Board’s action sustains the Planning Commission’s siting decision but does not substitute for building‑permit level technical reviews.
