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Planning commission backs cell-tower height extension, forwards proposal to council
Summary
The Blaine Planning Commission recommended approval of a conditional use permit amendment to extend an existing 105-foot monopole by 14 feet (a 10-foot tower extension plus a 5-foot lightning rod) to a total height of 119 feet, finding it would support colocation and avoid a new tower; staff recommended eight conditions and no public comments were received.
The City of Blaine Planning Commission voted Jan. 13 to recommend that the City Council approve an amendment to a conditional use permit for a monopole cell tower that would add a 10-foot tower extension and a 5-foot lightning rod, increasing the structure from the originally approved 105 feet to a proposed 119 feet.
Alex (city staff) told the commission that the original conditional use permit, approved in 2022, allowed a 105-foot monopole with a 5-foot lightning rod and that the applicant’s revised plan proposes the additional height to provide co‑location capacity. Staff said the existing tower structure and access points would remain, no signage or additional lighting is permitted, and that ground‑mounted equipment (an electrical cabinet and a generator) would be installed within the current fenced compound. Radio‑frequency propagation maps submitted by the applicant show the extension is intended to expand coverage and avoid the need for a separate tower in the neighborhood.
Staff advised the commission that towers taller than 100 feet must meet setback requirements from residential dwellings and that the existing tower was constructed about 372 feet from the nearest dwelling to the northwest; the structure is about 35 feet from the nearest property line. Staff said the applicant must submit a letter from a qualified engineer confirming that, in the event of a fall, the tower would remain within the required setback prior to building‑permit approval. Staff recommended approval subject to the eight conditions listed in the staff report.
The commission opened the public hearing; no members of the public spoke. A commissioner moved to recommend approval of case file 25‑0054 with the eight staff conditions, a second was given, and the commission approved the recommendation by voice vote. The item is scheduled for City Council consideration at the Feb. 2 meeting.
The action before the council will include staff‑recommended conditions and the engineer’s fall‑zone certification before any building permit is issued.
