Riverside County planning director moves to approve re-entitlement of 39-foot disguised monopole

Riverside County’s planning director moved to approve a re-entitlement request on Dec. 15, 2025, to continue operation of an existing 39-foot disguised monopole wireless facility in the Rancho area of District 3.

Project planner Hector So to told the director the application (plot plan wireless number 250,004) would re-entitle the existing facility, allow colocation of antennas and associated ground equipment within the current lease area, and remove a prior 10-year permit expiration condition. “The proposed project reentitlement does not include any modifications to the existing site and removes the 10 year life of permit condition,” So to said, and staff recommended the planning director find the project exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to the sections cited in the staff report and approve the plot plan subject to conditions and an advisory notification.

Applicant representative Jillian Newcomer, for AppTint Mobile, confirmed the proposal would not change the structure and said monthly site visits are conducted for maintenance: “Every month every month there is 1 site visit by the field ops or site tech,” she said, and added the applicant “agrees to all conditions of approval.”

During the public hearing, three speakers raised questions about future changes. Kent Tooley and Patrick Smith asked whether future additions or upgrades could be made without further public review; Smith asked, “can they make additions, modifications to it without requiring additional approval, which would allow us to have another hearing?” The planning director and staff responded that routine equipment upgrades typically proceed via building permits while enclosure expansion or an increase in tower height would usually require a plot-plan modification or additional approvals, and that noticing for modifications is governed by county zoning procedures.

Michael Anderson requested notification for any major changes affecting power or size, saying residents want assurance that substantial future work would return for public review. The applicant said any future modifications would be subject to Riverside County’s zoning process and appropriate noticing and that there are no modifications proposed with this re-entitlement.

After staff testimony, public comment and consideration of the findings in the staff report, the planning director closed the hearing and moved to approve plot plan wireless number 250,004. The transcript records the motion to approve; no roll-call vote or recorded tally appears in the hearing transcript.

The hearing also included a brief administrative note that the 2026 director’s hearing calendar will be revised and returned for consideration at the first hearing next year. The director adjourned the meeting.