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Planning commission approves conditional use permit for existing Verizon tower at Maricopa Town Center
Summary
The Planning and Zoning Commission approved CUP26-02 to regularize an existing Verizon wireless installation at 44870 W. Hathaway Ave.; planning staff said the permit had expired in 2018, no height increase is proposed, and staff recommended approval subject to conditions in Exhibit A.
The Planning and Zoning Commission voted to approve a conditional use permit for an existing Verizon Wireless facility at 44870 West Hathaway Avenue, on the northwest corner of West Hathaway and Condrey Avenue in the Maricopa Town Center.
James, planning staff, presented case CUP26-02 and told the commission the site includes a 99-foot tall tower and related ground-mounted equipment. He said the carrier is Verizon Wireless, the applicant is Crafted Communications, the tower owner is American Tower and the property owner is G2 Partners LLC. "As a result, staff would like to recommend approval for conditional use permit case number 26-02, subject to the conditions outlined in Exhibit A of the staff report," James said. Staff noted the previous conditional use permit had expired in 2018 and that the applicant is proposing only internal cable replacements — no increase in height or expansion of ground equipment.
Commissioners asked about compliance with the earlier permit and about the tower height. James said staff found no recorded violations from the prior permit and explained the structure was permitted under Pinal County zoning in the 1990s and therefore predates current Maricopa height standards. Derek Shear of the Plan Division added a technical clarification on modern small-cell installations versus larger monopoles, noting "microcells" mounted on streetlight poles cover very limited areas while monopoles serve broader geographic ranges.
A member of the public, James Singleton, urged the city to be more diligent about tracking expired permits, saying, "We're going on 8 years since this expired. The staff should have been a little bit better on this." Commissioners and staff acknowledged the comment and noted that retroactive stealth screening can be difficult for existing structures but that screening and landscaping requirements apply to new towers.
Commissioner Yocom moved to approve CUP26-02; the motion was seconded by Vice Chair Rims and the chair announced the motion passed. No roll-call tally of individual votes was recorded in the transcript.
The permit approval regularizes the tower’s status under the city’s zoning framework and keeps the conditions of approval in effect as outlined in the staff report. The commission did not approve any changes to the tower height or ground equipment in this action.
