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Rancho Palos Verdes narrows wireless-code changes, seeks coverage information from carriers
Summary
City staff presented extensive proposed amendments to municipal code sections governing small wireless facilities in the public right-of-way and on private property; the council directed staff to return with revised ordinance language that balances improved coverage with local aesthetics and procedural safeguards. Key council directions included removing the mandatory master deployment plan while still seeking coverage information, retaining height and notification protections with limited discretionary exceptions, rejecting large equipment volumes, and requiring application fees before review.
The Rancho Palos Verdes City Council on Tuesday reviewed a lengthy set of proposed changes to the city's wireless telecommunication rules and gave staff direction to draft ordinance language reflecting the council's concerns.
Staff told the council that carriers had proposed about 120 amendments to the municipal code and that staff recommended accepting 69, rejecting 38 and returning later on 15 sections. The proposals covered a wide range of technical and process issues: master deployment plans, antenna heights, equipment size, undergrounding, allowable locations (traffic signals, decorative poles), noise and photo-simulation requirements, public notification radii, and application fees.
At the heart of the discussion was the tradeoff council members described as coverage versus neighborhood character. "We can try to encourage and streamline the process, but we cannot control whether carriers want to come and invest," the city manager said during the presentation. Staff asked whether the council wanted to retain requirements designed to preserve visual…
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