Commission adopts staff recommendation on AT&T colocation at Calaga Springs water tank

Planning staff recommended the commission adopt a resolution denying AT&T Mobility’s application to modify an existing conditional use permit for the Calaga Springs stealth water‑tank tower. Planner Boniface Chifamba described the site at approximately 1710 Flochin Circle and explained that the 2016 CUP for the Verizon facility required antennas to be installed within the tank; the AT&T proposal would place nine antennas, 12 remote radio units and three above‑ground cabinets on the exterior of the tank. Staff concluded the application did not meet required CUP findings and recommended denial to avoid setting a precedent that would permit exterior antennas on a structure previously approved for concealment.

Carl Jones, representing AT&T, argued the proposal would improve coverage (including FirstNet band 14 capacity) and said federal FCC guidance limits a local agency’s ability to bar a qualifying colocation on a facility that was built for telecommunications. He summarized the FCC standard, asserting that aesthetic conditions cannot prohibit an otherwise qualified eligible facility request if the structure remains effectively concealed. Staff and the city attorney responded that the commission must apply the "defeat concealment" standard: if a reasonable person would conclude the modification defeats the concealment, the CUP conditions support denial.

After deliberation that included members' concerns about visual impacts and precedent for the downtown entry corridor, a commissioner moved to adopt the staff recommendation (the resolution denying the CUP modification) and the roll call recorded a unanimous vote in favor. The commission recorded the motion as carried 6‑0.