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Commission approves Sutro Tower antenna repacking permits; RF exposure study shows low levels
Summary
Planning Commission approved discretionary review for antenna repacking at Sutro Tower required by the FCC repack schedule. Sponsor and consultants presented RF calculations showing conservative maximum exposures at about 14% of FCC limits and measurements anticipated near 6%; conditions require third‑party oversight of measurements.
The commission granted discretionary review and approved building permits July 18 to allow Sutro Tower Inc. to repack broadcast frequencies and replace or relocate antennas as required by an FCC spectrum repacking process.
Project sponsor representatives said the work would add and replace several antennas on the tower to accommodate new broadcast channel assignments and that the upgrades would not alter the tower’s overall structural safety. The sponsor provided a new RF exposure analysis submitted to the Department of Public Health as part of environmental review. Sutro Tower consultants told commissioners that conservative calculations indicate a maximum theoretical exposure of about 14% of the FCC‑allowed threshold during normal operation and that on‑site measurements are expected to be closer to 6%.
The commission approved staff‑recommended conditions requiring a third‑party qualified engineer to oversee post‑installation RF measurements and to validate the sponsor’s testing methodology, with costs borne by the sponsor. The permits were approved unanimously.
What happens next: Sutro will proceed with the phased antenna removals and installations under DBI permit oversight; Public Health and the third‑party engineer will monitor RF testing per the adopted conditions.
