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Planning Commission Meeting <br />Minutes – Wednesday, April 7, 2010 <br />Page 3 <br />they would continue to work with staff and the property owner on that actual <br />95 <br />location. <br />96 <br />Further discussion ensued on the wetland delineation, seasonal soil conditions, <br />97 <br />and water table adjustments for seasonable norms to allow proper assessment. <br />98 <br />Public Comment <br />99 <br />Beverly Schmidt; 2442 Rice Street, Trailer #85, Little Canada (mobile home <br />100 <br />park directly across Rice Street from the proposed tower site) <br />101 <br />Ms. Schmidt had several questions related to impacts to residents of the mobile <br />102 <br />home park related to signal interference with land and cell phone lines and <br />103 <br />reception, as well as for any alarm systems; area traffic signal lights; or potential <br />104 <br />lightning strikes; and any additional significant traffic from the location of this pole <br />105 <br />at that site. Ms. Schmidt also questioned the allotment of revenue from this tower <br />106 <br />lease, noting that there would be no public monies from the tower, but only <br />107 <br />negative visual impacts. <br />108 <br />Mr. Lloyd advised that FCC regulations dictated frequencies for users to operate <br />109 <br />within a narrow frequency band to avoid interference with other frequencies and <br />110 <br />users, including area signal lights; clarified that the tower was now proposed for <br />111 <br />location on private property with that property owner the recipient of any lease <br />112 <br />revenues; and advised that Mr. Fischer from Buell Consulting confirmed that the <br />113 <br />equipment is outfitted to transmit any electricity from a lightning strike directly to <br />114 <br />the ground. <br />115 <br />Chair Doherty advised that minimal truck traffic would be realized, except during <br />116 <br />the initial construction and for routine maintenance. <br />117 <br />Gary Lumberg, Little Canada resident; owner of property at 170 Transit <br />118 <br />Street; and father of property owner at 172 Transit (first house right off Rice <br />119 <br />Street on Transit) <br />120 <br />Mr. Lumberg expressed concern about this project, recognizing that people had a <br />121 <br />right to build the towers; and questioned whether other locations in industrial <br />122 <br />areas had been considered as a potential site rather than this one adjacent to a <br />123 <br />residential neighborhood. Mr. Lumberg suggested that there may be a more <br />124 <br />appropriate site in Little Canada in a more industrial area. Mr. Lumberg spoke in <br />125 <br />opposition to locating the tower in the proposed location. <br />126 <br />Chair Doherty noted that this particular tower request, at various locations, had <br />127 <br />been before the Planning Commission and/or City Council in various alliterations <br />128 <br />in the past months. <br />129 <br />Commissioner Gisselquist concurred with Chair Doherty, and briefly reviewed the <br />130 <br />original request for locating the tower in Acorn Park to facilitate a “dead zone” for <br />131 <br />cellular and wireless signals in this area of the Roseville and Little Canada <br />132 <br />communities; and that limited flexibility was available for other locations that <br />133 <br />would effectively serve that area. <br />134 <br />Members of the audience, off microphone, suggested other potential locations; <br />135 <br />however, Chair Doherty advised that it was the Commission’s charge to review <br />136 <br />the application and location currently before them. <br />137 <br />Chair Doherty closed the Public Hearing at 7:20 p.m., with no one else appearing <br />138 <br />for or against. <br />139 <br />Chair Doherty spoke in support of the application; noting that this was the third <br />140 <br />time a request had come before the Commission, due in part to suggestions from <br />141 <br />the Commission and/or City Council for alternate locations outside of Acorn Park, <br />142 <br />and acknowledging that the applicant had complied with that request. Chair <br />143 <br />Doherty opined that any hazards to human health from these towers were <br />144 <br />minimal or non-existent. <br />145 <br /> <br />