The Fountain Hills, Ariz., Planning and Zoning Commission voted 5-0 at its Dec. 11 meeting to recommend the town council approve a special-use permit that will allow a faux palm-tree cell tower to be installed at Fountain Hills Mini-Storage. If approved, a 72-foot cell tower will be constructed inside the property at 12031 E. Colony Drive. The commission is also requiring that three real palm trees be planted near the cell tower. Coal Creek Consulting, a provider of wireless development and site-modification services, would build the tower for T-Mobile.
Because the cell tower is within 300 feet of a condominium complex, a special-use permit is required, according to the source. The town has a similar cell tower in a business plaza on Saguaro Boulevard, however, it’s slightly shorter than the one proposed for the storage facility, the source reported. Another cell tower, on a light pole at Desert Vista Park, is 85 feet in height, Bob Rodgers, a senior planner with the commission, said during the meeting.
Before voting, commission members discussed damage that might be caused should the cell tower fall during a storm. Declan Murphy of Coal Creek Consulting told members the tower is designed to withstand a 92-mile-per-hour wind gust sustained for 30 seconds. If the tower were to fall, commission members determined it would likely drop on the storage property or within an adjacent alley, limiting collateral damage, the source reported.
Jim Klungness, owner Fountain Hills Mini-Storage, attended the meeting and requested members approve the special-use permit. The source didn’t say when the town’s council would review the plan.
Sources:
- The Fountain Hills Times: P&Z Endorses Faux Palm Tree Cell Tower
