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Planning Commission approves AT&T 185-foot tower near water tower with added landscaping
Summary
The Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit for AT&T to erect a 185-foot monopole near an existing 160–165-foot water tower, granting a height and west-setback waiver and adding a condition requiring four additional native evergreen trees and a six-foot solid privacy fence.
An application by AT&T to install a 185-foot monopole telecommunications tower near the city water tower was approved by the St. Joseph Planning Commission after staff conditions and an additional landscaping requirement were added.
Applicant representative (recorded in the meeting as Mr. Clotke) told the commission the monopole-style tower would sit on a 70-by-70-foot lease area with a six-foot solid privacy fence, asphalt 12-foot-wide access from Karnes Road, and stealth screening around antenna clusters. The applicant said the proposed location was chosen so antennas could "shoot above" the existing water tower (described in staff comments as roughly 160–165 feet tall) and that a height waiver was necessary for the coverage profile requested.
Resident Ronnie Trout opposed the location during public comment, saying he received the certified notice and raising health concerns about electromagnetic fields (EMF) citing practices in other countries. Staff (Brandon) responded to commissioners’ questions about setbacks and explained the city’s default setback policy for towers in residential areas: the required setback distance generally equals the tower height. Staff said the proposal meets setback requirements on three sides but not the west, which is why a west setback waiver was requested. Staff also described a recommended planting palette (two sugar maples and two red maples) and confirmed the applicant proposed a six-foot privacy fence and would replace some removed trees with natives.
A commissioner moved to approve the conditional use permit subject to the staff report conditions and to add four additional native evergreen trees; the motion was seconded and carried on roll call. The commission approved the permit; the item will proceed to city council for final action as part of the city's review procedure for such land-use decisions.
Next steps: city council will consider the permit at a future meeting; any appeals or questions about EMF testing or health impacts would be handled outside the zoning decision and were not resolved at the hearing.
