Brentwood Planning Commission advances proposal to allow 160-foot 'Tier 4' cell towers

The Brentwood Planning Commission advanced a proposed amendment to the city’s personal wireless service ordinance that would create a new “Tier 4” classification allowing monopole towers up to 160 feet, provided carriers demonstrate a documented service need.

Presenter and staff member (Speaker 6) told commissioners the change is intended to improve coverage gaps created under an ordinance drafted in 2001 while limiting the number and visual impact of new towers. “This tier 4 would allow towers up to 160 feet,” Speaker 6 said, adding that the plan would “require them to have multiple carriers on them to minimize the number of proposed towers.”

Under the draft, Tier 4 towers would be limited to monopole designs (lattice towers remain prohibited), would be sited preferably on government or quasi‑government property or utility‑district land and could be permitted in HOA‑owned residential open space in some cases. The draft also proposes eliminating fall‑zone setbacks where towers are engineered to collapse upon themselves at designed pinch points, a safety measure staff described to the commission.

Carriers seeking a Tier 4 pole would have to submit a propagation study showing service need; the city would hire a third party to review that study. Speaker 6 said a carrier would also be required to notify everyone within 1,000 feet of the fenced site area — a notification process similar to rezoning notices — before approvals proceed.

Commissioners and staff identified practical target areas where coverage is currently poor, including sections of the southeast part of the city such as Governors Club and parts of Concord Road. Speaker 3 emphasized the public‑safety implications of gaps in coverage: “So many landlines are a thing of the past... what worried us is that people are in their homes and they can't call 911,” Speaker 3 said.

The commission discussed aesthetics and operational concerns — such as aviation or obstruction lighting — and asked staff to confirm applicable lighting requirements for tall poles. Staff also said proposed towers should include screening or camouflage where feasible and that the city would retain review authority through the planning commission, with city commission involvement when a proposal affects OSRD/open‑space land.

The draft ordinance has already been to the city commission for first reading (Jan. 12); staff told the planning commission that a public hearing is scheduled for Monday, Feb. 9, with a second and final reading set for Feb. 23. Speaker 6 said carriers would need to demonstrate concrete coverage needs and that the city’s third‑party reviewer would help verify that justification.

Next steps: the planning commission will hold the advertised public hearing and forward recommendations to the city commission prior to the Feb. 23 final reading.