Temple City council introduces first reading of wireless communications ordinance

The Temple City City Council on a unanimous vote introduced for first reading Ordinance No. 24-177, a code amendment that would revise rules for wireless communication facilities to protect the city's aesthetics while complying with federal and state law.

City staff presented the ordinance as an update to the city's 2019 rules. Tony, a staff presenter, said the amendments would clarify application requirements, add provisions governing the abandonment and transfer of facilities, and correct a zoning abbreviation (changing references from the "M" zone to the correct "I" industrial zone). He told the council staff also proposes a footnote clarifying treatment of pole-mounted or "lollipop" antennas to improve code readability.

The ordinance would explicitly list exempt facilities and require applicants to submit a visual-impacts analysis to assist review of aesthetics and screening. Staff recommended that director-level review cover antenna screening and minor site plans while conditional use permits (CUPs) remain the Planning Commission's responsibility for larger installations. Tony said administrative collocation requests falling under federal Section 649(a) (collocation rules) would be processed at the staff level provided the concealment elements of an installation are not defeated and there is no "substantial change" in dimensions.

Staff defined a "substantial change" consistent with Section 649(a) as a roughly 10% increase in height or comparable physical dimension; minor increases could be mitigated through added camouflage, staff said. The ordinance would also allow certain facilities on publicly owned or used properties (public schools, parks) only when they are placed on an existing structure, when removal of a preexisting facility is part of the project, when the new facility is at least 200 feet from all street property lines and residential properties, and when design standards require camouflage or stealthing.

Mr. Remers (staff) explained the 200-foot rule is intended for publicly owned sites, where school campuses typically have the space to meet that setback, while many private or church properties may not. No members of the public spoke during the hearing.

Staff recommended the council find the ordinance is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under the commonly used "common-sense" exemption and asked the council to introduce it and schedule second reading. The council approved the introduction and set the second reading for November 6, 2024.

The council recorded the introduction by roll call and voted unanimously to advance the ordinance to second reading. The next procedural step is the Nov. 6, 2024 council meeting for the ordinance's second reading.