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Planning Commission approves faux-tree cell site at Palace of Fine Arts over one dissent
Summary
The San Francisco Planning Commission voted 6–1 to allow AT&T to place wireless antennas inside a faux eucalyptus at the Palace of Fine Arts parking lot, after staff and the project sponsor described technical and aesthetic trade-offs and responded to neighborhood notification concerns.
The San Francisco Planning Commission on March 20 approved a conditional use authorization for new wireless facilities at the Palace of Fine Arts (3301 Lyon Street), allowing AT&T to install antennas disguised as a faux eucalyptus tree in the parking lot.
Planning staff described the location as the city and county-owned Palace of Fine Arts site, with Recreation and Parks as the landowner. Mary Woods, planning department staff, said Rec and Park and other city agencies reviewed numerous options and that staff worked with AT&T to identify a “creative solution” in a fake tree to meet coverage and landmark preservation concerns. "The Palace of Fine Arts building is a designated city landmark," Woods said.
Why it matters: Staff and the sponsor argued the facility is intended to improve public and first-responder coverage in an area with known dead zones and high…
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