Planning commission approves Omni Fiber cabinet placements with conditions, urges relocations away from historic thoroughfares
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Summary
Bay City Planning Commission on Sept. 24 approved five Omni Fiber site plans for above‑ground utility cabinets, imposing conditions that some cabinets be relocated off major historic thoroughfares (to side streets such as North Van Buren or North Farragut) and that staff administratively verify final locations and clearances.
The Bay City Planning Commission voted Sept. 24 to approve five site plan applications from Omni Fiber LLC to install above‑ground fiber utility cabinets at multiple addresses, while attaching conditions to reduce visual and traffic impacts in the city’s historic district.
Commissioners approved applications that staff identified as SPR2505 (888 Center Avenue), SPR2507 (1498 6th Street), SPR2510 (2025 7th Street), SPR2506 (1104 McKinley Avenue) and SPR2512 (616 McKinley Avenue). Planning staff and the commission emphasized that cabinets proposed on major thoroughfares should be relocated, if feasible, to side streets so they do not sit in the MDOT right‑of‑way or directly in front of historic resources.
“MDOT’s preference is behind the sidewalk or off the state right of way,” planning staff said during the meeting, noting that MDOT’s permitting process will be required for cabinets that remain in state right‑of‑way. The applicant’s representative told the commission the cabinets “could be moved” and offered to revise plans if the commission preferred an alternative location.
The commission approved SPR2505 for 888 Center Avenue subject to detailed conditions read into the record, including compliance with local code clearance and setback rules (referenced in the meeting under sections read aloud by staff), notification to nearby property owners before installation, and submission of as‑built drawings after installation. For the Center Avenue cabinet the commission directed that the application be approved subject to moving the cabinet around the corner (e.g., to North Van Buren) if that met MDOT and city requirements.
For the two locations on McKinley Avenue (SPR2506 and SPR2512), the commission required that Omni Fiber work with staff to relocate at least one cabinet to North Farragut Street or another administratively approved side‑street location; staff said the planner could administratively approve the final repositioning after the company resubmits the revised plan.
Commissioners cited three practical constraints in discussion: MDOT’s authority in state right‑of‑way, technical constraints of where fiber infrastructure terminates, and the company’s stated build schedule. The applicant said that, for their next build phase, revised prints could be provided to staff to meet required setbacks and clearances.
The commission’s motions incorporated standard site‑plan conditions read at the meeting (setbacks from intersections and driveways, tree clearances, bus stop setbacks, notice to adjacent owners, and as‑built submittal requirements). Staff confirmed MDOT permitting and engineering review would run in parallel with the city’s permitting process where appropriate.
Next steps: Omni Fiber will revise drawings for the specified locations where the commission asked for relocation post‑approval; staff will administratively review and sign off on any permitted relocations to ensure compliance with the conditions and applicable code sections. The company indicated additional cabinets will be submitted in future weeks for subsequent planning commission review.
