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Planning commission approves Verizon site plan for 120-foot tower near equestrian park
Summary
The North Ogden Planning Commission gave conditional approval to a Verizon site plan for a 120-foot communications tower on city-owned land near the equestrian park, requiring stealth-style screening and a council-approved lease and easement before finalization.
The North Ogden Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve a conditional site plan for a proposed 120-foot Verizon wireless communications tower on city-owned property near the equestrian park at approximately 2700 North Mountain Road.
Scott Hess, the city’s community and economic development director, told the commission the site is roughly 5.88 acres and Verizon proposes an approximately 880-square-foot ground-lease area for a 120-foot monopole built of weathering (Corten) steel designed to blend with nearby Rocky Mountain Power transmission structures. Hess described the facility as "stealth compatible," with integrated equipment and visual screening intended to reduce the tower’s profile. He said staff recommends approval subject to standard conditions and a lease and easement agreement with the city council.
Commissioners questioned fencing, screening and setback interpretations. Hess said ground equipment would be about 6 feet high and that the applicant would meet the city’s screening requirements; he noted staff’s view that the adjacent civic zone means the code’s 10-foot adjacency setback applies (rather than a tower-height setback measured from the parcel’s own residential property line) but acknowledged that the language is ambiguous and that staff could return with a clarification or rezone recommendation if the commission prefers.
A motion to approve the site plan included an additional condition that screening follow the tower’s stealth design language so the enclosure and landscaping "blend in" with the tower. The motion passed on a unanimous roll call. Commissioners also asked staff to ensure the ground-lease and easement agreement (including removal and decommissioning obligations) be finalized by the council before the permit is issued.
The commission’s approval was limited to administrative site-plan consistency with code and included the explicit condition that a lease/easement agreement be agreed to by the city council before final approval. No construction timetable was specified during the meeting.
What happens next: Staff will coordinate lease and easement terms with the city council and bring any necessary code clarifications or rezoning proposals back to the commission if the commission wishes a different long-term approach to setbacks or zone consistency.
