Planning commission unanimously recommends wireless ordinance and master plan with site preference for town-owned parcel near substation

The Springdale Planning Commission voted unanimously on Nov. 6 to recommend that the town council adopt revisions to Chapter 10-27 of the town code and to adopt a wireless communications master plan intended to improve cell coverage across Springdale.

Town staff presented the master plan as a year-long effort started under council direction “with the goal [of] improving cell service in Springdale,” and said the town's previous ordinance prioritized small-cell deployments, which staff said may have limited investment in larger infrastructure. "The project was started, under the direction of the town council, and the goal was improving cell service in Springdale," staff said during the presentation.

The commission’s formal recommendation included a site-specific condition for the PMO7 search area. Staff reported that an RF engineer had modeled a 35-foot facility on ground roughly 30 feet higher than the substation, which altered visibility and coverage conclusions. Staff presented four options to achieve the required coverage at PMO7: a 35-foot tower on higher ground, a 70-foot tower sited farther back near the substation, a combination of two 30-foot small-cell poles…