The San Benito County Planning Commission voted 4-0 to approve use permit PLN250069 to raise an existing faux‑tree wireless communications tower at 2680 Buena Vista Road from about 66 feet to 97 feet, adopting findings in the draft resolution and adding a condition to permit free access for local emergency services.

Senior planner Michael Kelly told the commission the proposal would keep the structure’s pine‑tree appearance while adding roughly 31 feet and installing six antenna array units and a microwave dish inside the existing lease area. "If it's approved, it's to result in a 97‑foot tall tower where there is currently a 66‑foot tall tower, a false tree," Kelly said, explaining the taller height improves coverage for parts of State Route 156, Old San Juan/Hollister Road, industrial areas west of the bridge and eastern San Juan Valley.

The staff report included simulated site views and carrier coverage maps showing materially better service with the added elevation. Kelly said the tower sits on an agricultural‑zoned parcel and that General Plan policies generally favor expanding telecommunications while encouraging lower‑visibility siting and design. He also said the project is eligible for a Class 3 exemption under the California Environmental Quality Act, which staff used in its recommendation.

Commissioners pressed the applicant on visual appearance and alternatives to raising the tower. One commissioner asked whether the faux‑tree could be filled in so it “doesn't look like a Charlie Brown tree.” Kevin Horn, representing the applicant, said he would consult with his colleagues and T‑Mobile and return with proposed improvements. "I can definitely speak with my colleague about that to get that into your concerns address," Horn said.

Brian Braeson, the county’s assistant county counsel, advised the commission that it may impose conditions requiring law‑enforcement access. Braeson stated, "The commission is allowed as a condition of approval to require that law enforcement have access to the tower." Commissioners agreed to include a condition granting local emergency services free access to the facility; the final specific language was to be worked out with the chair and staff.

The motion to approve—explicitly including the concept of improving the tree camouflage and adding the emergency‑access condition—carried 4‑0. The staff recommendation and the draft resolution (findings on CEQA and the conditional‑use permit) were adopted with that direction. No public opposition was recorded during the hearing.

The commission’s action approves the use permit subject to the resolution’s findings and the added condition(s); staff will finalize the precise condition language and return any required follow‑up to the commission.