San Benito veterans park commission delays decision on Verizon lease, seeks safety and financial details

The Veterans Memorial Park Commission on Monday declined to endorse either of two proposals from Verizon for the county's cell-tower site at Veterans Memorial Park, saying commissioners need more information on safety, the footprint of any expanded easement and how prior and future revenue would be handled.

County staff told the commission that Verizon's November proposal offered two main options: a revised lease starting in January 2026 at $1,900 per month with a 2% annual escalator and an initial five-year term with four optional five-year renewals (a potential 25-year horizon), or a one-time lump-sum easement payment of $429,015 in exchange for a perpetual, terminable easement and a 50% revenue share on any revenue generated by additional tenants.

"There are 2 options being put on the table," Steve, county staff presenting the item, said, summarizing the proposed $1,900 monthly rent and the lump-sum alternative. "There is no official lease document that has been produced," he added, saying any final agreement would be drafted by county counsel and returned to the Board of Supervisors for approval.

Trevor Stevens, a Verizon representative on the call, told commissioners the company's network strategy and market conditions have reduced reliance on large macro sites and prompted a re-evaluation of lease economics. He said the company used an internal formula to generate its pricing and described funding partners that could help recruit additional tenants for towers and provide revenue-management assistance.

"We have new technology," Stevens said, noting small cells, millimeter-wave deployments and lower-Earth-orbit satellites as factors that have altered demand for traditional macro sites. He said the lump-sum-and-partner model is intended to help landlords monetize sites while Verizon reduces its own exposure.

Commissioners probed the arithmetic and terms. One noted a current monthly rent of $2,979.26 and questioned how a $429,015 lump sum or a reduced monthly rent would compare over decades. Staff and Verizon said the current 2007 lease contains five-year renewal options and that, unless acted on, the existing agreement could remain in effect until 2032; the 2027 window would be the earliest point when either party could terminate the current term.

Several commissioners raised safety and community-use concerns. They asked for an exhibit showing whether the advertised 500-square-foot expansion would be tower-mounted airspace or additional ground footprint that could encroach on the skate park, sports fields and high-use areas. The presence of a 210-gallon generator near recreational spaces prompted requests for clearer maintenance assignments and fencing or other safeguards.

Commissioners also sought documentation on whether previous lease revenue had been allocated to the Veterans Park Fund as intended under the original agreement. "We'll check on that," staff said when asked about historic revenue accounting.

Verizon offered to provide environmental reports and frequency-safety documentation, and Stevens cited international and federal assessments about radiofrequency exposure. "I can pull up environmental reports that do show the frequencies that we operate on are not harmful," he said, pointing to WHO, FDA and FCC evaluations.

Commissioners said they could not responsibly recommend a final path forward without: a mapped exhibit of the proposed expansion footprint; the identity or profile of any proposed funding partner; environmental and facility (soil/facility) inspection documents; explicit maintenance responsibilities in any draft contract; and clear accounting for previous revenues earmarked for the park.

Because the Veterans Memorial Park Commission meets quarterly, members said the November notice and any near-term deadline did not give them adequate time to vet the proposal. Several commissioners said they planned to recommend tabling or requesting an extension at the Board of Supervisors meeting where the matter will appear; staff said a nonbinding letter of intent could be prepared quickly to buy time if Verizon agreed.

The commission took no vote on either option. After requesting the exhibits and documentation from Verizon and staff, members moved to adjourn. A motion to adjourn carried and the meeting ended at 6:22 p.m.

What happens next: The commission will provide its concerns and requests to the Board of Supervisors, which will consider the issue and, if it directs staff to proceed, county counsel will draft lease or easement documents for future board approval.