2004-07-07 - Plan Commission - Minutes Board or Commission: ❑ Plan Commission
Document Type: 0 A e
g nda 0 Minutes
Meeting ate: 07/07/2004
Type of Meeting: ❑ Regular Meeting
REGULAR MEETING
BUFFALO GROVE PLAN COMMISSION
July 7, 2004
Buffalo Grove Park District, proposed cellular antenna towers at
Bison Park, Busch Grove Park, and Rolling Hills North Park
Workshop #2
Zoning Ordinance amendments concerning cellular antenna towers
Workshop #2
Chairman Ottenheimer called the meeting to order at 7:30 p.m. in the Village Council Chambers,
Buffalo Grove Municipal Building, 50 Raupp Boulevard, Buffalo Grove, Illinois.
Commissioners present: Chairman Ottenheimer
Mr. Samuels
Mr. Smith
Ms. Bocek
Ms. Kenski-Sroka
Mr. Khan
Mr. Teplinsky
Mr. Stark
Mr. Cohn
Commissioners absent: None
Also Present: Mr. Michael Rylko, Buffalo Grove Park District
Ms. Karen Larson, Buffalo Grove Park District
Mr. John Green, Groundwork, Ltd.
Mr. Robert Pfeil, Village Planner
APPROVAL OF MINUTES
Moved by Commissioner Teplinsky, seconded by Commissioner Khan to approve the minutes of
the regular meeting of June 16, 2004. All Commissioners were in favor of the motion and the
motion passed unanimously with Commissioners Smith, Bocek and Stark abstaining.
-COMMITTEE AND LIAISON REPORTS
Commissioner Khan attended the Village Board meeting on June 21, 2004 where the Buffalo
Grove Bank and Trust annexation was approved. However, the Insignia Homes townhome
development has been referred back to the Plan Commission as the Board was not satisfied with
the plan. The new proposal therefore is for single family homes.
BUFFALO GROVE PARK DISTRICT, PROPOSED CELLULAR ANTENNA TOWERS AT
BISON PARK, BUSCH GROVE PARK, AND ROLLING HILLS NORTH PARK —
WORKSHOP 92
Mr. John Green noted it is difficult to talk about this proposal without talking about the zoning
text amendment because so many zoning text changes are actually stimulated by an application.
He noted that setbacks vary widely from one community to another. They vary from three times
the height for Deerfield for those cell towers that would be adjacent to residential to the same
height setback distance in Highland Park to 100 percent of the height from adjacent buildings in
Northbrook. Deerfield permits no setback when the property abuts things like railroad right of
ways. Virtually all recognized the need that there would be identification that there are no lesser
impact facilities adjacent to the service area of need. Deerfield actually encourages Village
owned land for utilization for cell towers. Northbrook lists their open space district for cell
tower development and in Buffalo Grove all of the park district land is in various residential
zoning districts. In Northbrook all the park land is in the open space which is why the OS
District exists. All of them encourage some sort of visual blending.
Mr. Green stated the Buffalo Grove Park District proposes to use open space land. They propose
considerable separations from residential developments. They propose to maximize distances
from potential impacts. They propose a 100 foot distance from a residential property line and
200 feet from any residence in Bison Park. They propose 230-285 feet from any residential
property line at Rolling Hills North Park and over 300 from any residence and the pole would be
placed to work in conjunction with the Commonwealth Edison high tension power structures as
well as 525-1170 feet from any property line at Busch Grove Park plus the road right of ways
which are another 80-100 feet wide. It will also be set in an area of trees that are 80-95 feet tall.
Mr. Green stated the EMF emissions from cell tower structures are hundreds and sometimes
thousands of times below the safety level as identified by the government. He noted an antenna
could be mounted on a high tension tower. He noted consideration can be given to color or other
realistic means of camouflage. T-Mobile is willing to look at a number of things to hide the
towers such as different colors or trellis designs.
Mr. Green stated they were asked what pole heights were needed for the various properties as
opposed to what was wanted. He noted these poles will all have structures at the base. The
structure in Busch Grove Park will have a finish consistent with the other structures in the park
as well as a roof consistent with the other in the park.
Mr. Green stated the plan for Busch Grove Park calls for 110 feet in total height whereas the
optimal height desired is 120 feet and the minimal height is 110 feet. Both Rolling Hills and
Bison Park optimal height would be 110 feet but their engineers say they can work with 90 feet.
Commissioner Samuels asked if the coverage map presented to the Plan Commission is specific
to T-Mobile.
Mr. Green stated yes.
Commissioner Samuels asked if other carriers have the same problems.
Mr. Green stated T-Mobile cannot gather that information. T-Mobile stated other providers are
usually very non-cooperative with each other.
Commissioner Samuels asked if the Park District has had any discussion with any other carriers.
Mr. Green stated the Park District originally had discussions with two other carriers that
expressed interest. This is the one they were able to secure the best program with.
Commissioner Samuels asked if three or so carriers would be able to share this facility.
Mr. Green stated more than one carrier can share if it is 120 feet.
Commissioner Samuels asked if any of the other districts discussed actually have cell phone
towers on public lands.
Mr. Green stated he did not know if they have cell towers.
Commissioner Samuels asked if T Mobile has made other efforts to secure alternate sites.
Mr. Green stated he is aware that recently they had been talking with the Village of Long Grove
but no arrangements were made.
Commissioner Samuels asked what alternatives T Mobile may have if this proposal is not
permitted.
Mr. Pfeil stated there are unincorporated parcels where it is easier to obtain permits through
County zoning. He noted the Village approved the 100-foot tower on Milwaukee Avenue for
Voice Stream and the 140-foot tower Route 83 south of Lake Cook Road on the Northwest
Community Healthcare Center property. The latter approval was explicitly in the context of
co-location of several users on the tower. He noted that the Village inherited a 140-foot tower at
Main Street south of Port Clinton Road when the Vernon Township facility was annexed to the
Village. Another tower that was in place prior to annexation is located on Hastings Drive north
of Lake Cook Road.
Mr. Pfeil commented that the Village frequently receives inquiries from providers looking for
tower sites. The current zoning regulations require a special use, and the permissible height is the
district building height standard, so a variation for height would usually be needed to
accommodate the needs of the service provider.
Commissioner Samuels asked what happens if someone else comes to the Park District and
wants to put another antenna up on the same location if the ordinance is passed and this becomes
a permitted use.
Mr. Green stated he suspects that if this has an opportunity to move forward it will be because
there is a text amendment that is being created. That text amendment may create the opportunity
for a cell tower to be configured but how the text is created will really have more to do with what
would happen if that were to come up again.
Commissioner Samuels stated there is an element of aesthetics involved here and if we permit
this in theory to go into a park, what would be the argument against then having a farm.
Mr. Green stated the best argument against having a farm is if the Village creates an ordinance
that says that we do not promote the idea of cell tower farms.
Mr. Rylko stated his board was very concerned when they first started talking to the other folks.
He noted each carrier has to have its own house and they did not want to have a Village of
houses in the ball fields.
Commissioner Samuels asked if existing paths will be used for the houses needed.
Mr. Green stated there is already access. Busch Grove already has the ball fields, Rolling Hills
North already has bike paths and a practice field there and the one at Bison Park is scheduled to
be adjacent to a ball field that is already there.
Commissioner Stark noted that a 120 foot tower would allow for multiple carriers but that the
Park District was not asking for that mainly due to the need for houses to service the towers.
Mr. Green stated the multiple housings were of interest and concern to the Park District and the
height was a concern to the Village Board. Between both elected bodies there were enough
concerns there to minimize the height.
Commissioner Stark asked if multiple carriers would mean multiple revenue streams.
Mr. Green stated yes.
Commissioner Cohn asked if T Mobile has built towers in some of these other parks and what
kind have they been and what have they done in terms of aesthetics.
Mr. Green stated he would get the answers from T Mobile.
Mr. Rylko noted Long Grove has a typical one with no lights but just the cell tower with the
antenna sticking out. Hoffman Estate high school has something identical as the one they want
to do at Busch Grove which is light fixtures for the football field with the cell tower on top. He
stated they will get more info and possibly pictures from T Mobile.
Commissioner Teplinsky asked how far the proposed cell tower in Bison Park is from the
existing apartment building.
Mr. Green stated it is about 200-210 feet.
Commissioner Smith asked if these three towers are a package deal.
Mr. Green stated each of them will be considered individually but certainly there have been
discussions that it is important to T Mobile that they all move forward. The Park District is
obligated to have two towers minimum. However two will not complete the service
opportunities for the community.
Mr. Pfeil noted that this is a special use situation so each site has to prove up on its own merits.
Chairman Ottenheimer noted the general consensus the Plan Commission would very much
appreciate seeing some more photos and it might be beneficial to have the T Mobile
representative to answer questions.
Commissioner Samuels asked if the Village would ever be in competition with the Park District.
Mr. Pfeil noted that the Village of Buffalo Grove has been very reserved concerning cell towers
on Village-owned property, while a number of other communities have actively encouraged the
use of municipal property.
Chairman Ottenheimer called for a polling concerning the need for another workshop prior to
public hearings for the respective sites.
The consensus of the Commission was that the petitions could proceed to hearings.
ZONING ORDINANCE AMENDMENTS CONCERNING CELLULAR ANTENNA TOWERS
—WORKSHOP #2
Mr. Pfeil distributed some example ordinances from other communities. Most of the ordinances
are require special uses for towers and wireless facilities. He noted the Village's current
regulations require a special use. Towers for commercial use are not allowed in residential
districts, which is one of the reasons that the Buffalo Grove Park District is interested in
changing the ordinance. Towers can be approved as a special use in all Business Districts and the
Industrial District. The allowable height is the district building height standard, which is difficult
for cellular service providers to meet since they typically want towers of 100 feet or higher.
Mr. Pfeil noted that his approach to the proposed zoning amendments includes a review of the
regulations of other communities. One of the things the Commission should evaluate is a
general assessment of what locations are not appropriate for towers and what types of regulations
need to be used to discourage towers in these locations. Basic parameters need to be developed
concerning standards such as setbacks. A typical setback standard is to require a distance equal
to the height of the tower. If the tower abuts a residential area, a larger setback may be needed.
Mr. Pfeil commented that the location of antennas on existing buildings should be encouraged.
Cellular providers would probably prefer a process that only requires appearance and building
permit review rather than a special use approval.
Mr. Pfeil noted that another issue is defining the property owners who will have the right to
request approval for towers. Vernon Township has a tower, and the Buffalo Grove Park District
is now asking permission for towers on three sites. The Village may want to accommodate a
tower if an appropriate municipal site is identified. Churches are typically zoned residential, but
it is certainly possible that a church or similar use could request approval to accommodate a
provider's antenna in a steeple or some other structure that blends in with the building. There are
some properties zoned residential that are either governmental or some kind of not-for-profit
entity that might someday request approval for a tower.
Commissioner Samuels asked Trustee Kahn if the board has a policy of what the government
finds desirable as far as use and location and the revenue streams. He noted that this seems very
much like a political issue and if the Village decides that they want it then they should establish
a policy that encourages them to be on public land and encourages the revenue stream to come
into the Village. He noted the Village could fairly well shut out private properties and not make
it an issue. He noted this is a question that should be addressed first.
Trustee Kahn said that the Board does not see itself as being in competition with other property
owners to accommodate cellular providers. He commented that one of his main concerns is to
consider the impact on adjacent properties. He sees value in co-locating and using existing sites
as much as possible.
Chairman Ottenheimer noted one of the obvious areas where cell towers would not be welcome
is residential. But this still needs to be defined concerning what encompasses residential in the
Village. Does it include townhomes and multi-family as well as single family areas ? Towers
aren't appropriate in residential neighborhoods, but there may be some residentially zoned
properties that are suitable locations.
Commissioner Teplinsky commented that the regulations should be careful concerning the
definition of "residential area." There are a lot of parks in Buffalo Grove on sites that were
dedicated by developers, and these parks are typically right in the middle of residential areas.
Chairman Ottenheimer stated he likes the idea of camouflaged antennas on top of buildings.
Commissioner Samuels stated he would support the encouragement or fostering of the single
taller tower as shared facilities rather than multiple towers. He further stated that once the
decision is made to allow a pole he would rather see another ten feet on the pole and have it
shared by several carriers instead of having two or three separate poles.
Commission Bocek stated it would be good to encourage implementation of antennas and
equipment within a building's architecture so they are not so obvious. She asked if it would be a
good idea to encourage the locations on main traffic arteries instead of parks that are along side
streets. She asked how individual business owners would be handled if they request towers.
Mr. Pfeil noted that the height and setbacks from the proximate property lines would be two
limiting factors for many business properties in adding a cell tower to an existing development.
Commissioner Stark asked if the height of a tower would expand the radius of coverage area.
Chairman Ottenheimer stated that is a good question and it dovetails with Commissioner
Samuels' thoughts that he would rather have one 110 foot tower rather than two 80 foot towers.
Chairman Ottenheimer asked if there was a general consensus against cell tower farms even if
the location is appropriate.
The Commission agreed that was the general consensus.
Commissioner Cohn noted there were two things he liked about the example ordinances. He
liked the language about compatibility in the Highland Park ordinance and making sure there is
some language in the ordinance about how the design of the tower needs to blend in with the
neighborhood and with the surrounding land use. He also liked the language in the Northbrook
ordinance regarding landscaping and fencing and making sure there was fencing to prevent
people from climbing or damaging the tower and to have natural landscaping so that the
structures at the bottom look like they also blend in with the neighborhood.
CHAIRMAN'S REPORT—None
FUTURE AGENDA SCHEDULE
Mr. Pfeil said that the next meeting is scheduled for July 21, 2004.
PUBLIC COMMENTS AND QUESTIONS—None
STAFF REPORT
Mr. Pfeil noted the Village Board passed an ordinance in March of 2004 enacting a temporary
moratorium on new petitions from banks and financial institutions until the Village completes a
study of its options in controlling the proliferation of banks. A committee met several times to
discuss various options. The most specific alternative that was identified is an amendment to the
Zoning Ordinance to require a special use for any drive-through facility.
NEW BUSINESS—None
ADJOURNMENT
Moved by Commissioner Kenski-Sroka, seconded by Commissioner Smith and carried
unanimously to adjourn. Chairman Ottenheimer adjourned the meeting at 8:40 p.m.
Respectfully submitted,
Fay Rubin, Recording Secretary
APPROVED BY:
LESTER OTTENHEIMER, Chair