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Staff analysis: 100-foot setback would rule out almost all wood utility poles in Palo Alto
Summary
City staff presented a 2019 analysis showing that a 100-foot setback from residences would exclude about 98% of wood utility poles from hosting wireless equipment; AT&T told the board undergrounding active radio units is generally unfeasible.
City staff told the Architecture Review Board that an internal 2019 analysis of existing wood utility poles shows large setback rules would remove most available pole locations for wireless equipment. "So essentially at a, let's say, 30 foot, distance from a residential building, we're excluding about 47% of wood utility poles," staff said; at 100 feet staff said the exclusion rate would be about 98%.
The staff presentation framed that data as part of the city’s decision about whether to adopt large residential setbacks. Staff also said the analysis used mapped wood utility poles because streetlight pole data were less robust. Industry representatives cautioned that large exclusions could make meeting coverage objectives much harder without alternative siting options.
Staff and AT&T agreed undergrounding active radio equipment is generally unfeasible: AT&T said radios are designed to be near antennas for signal performance and rely on open-air convection cooling; removing them underground can weaken signal and increase moisture risk. Staff recommended the board weigh aesthetic objectives against practical deployment constraints when advising council.
