Verizon asks to mount antennas on city parking garage; board asks for less-visible options and testing

Verizon representatives told the City of St. Augustine Historic Architectural Review Board on May 31 that adding cellular radios to three corner towers of the city-owned parking garage at 1 Cordova Street would address persistent capacity shortfalls in the visitor-center/fort area. The board continued the application to the June 18 meeting and requested signal testing and visual mockups before taking a vote.

Courtney Barnard of Verizon said the proposal responds to everyday capacity constraints as well as event-driven spikes that today require Verizon to deploy temporary towers for large events. "Every year that comes at a cost to Verizon … it's around a $100,000 each year to put this up just for nights of lights," said Tom Beck, Verizon's public-safety lead, arguing that a permanent rooftop solution would reduce recurring costs and operational complexity.

Staff warned that the proposed antennas and cable runs are visually conspicuous on the garage towers and that the application lacks full equipment dimensions, cable-routing details and confirmation whether rooftop cabinets would be concealed by the parapet. The planning staff presentation noted the site's sensitivity: the garage parcel sits adjacent to the Visitor Information Center and within the broader historic landmark/district buffer, and guidelines require mechanical equipment be as inconspicuous as possible.

Scott York, a nearby business owner who brings groups of schoolchildren to the Visitor Center, told the board he supports the proposal. "You are not going to see that at 40 feet high when it's painted to blend in with the color of these towers," York said, urging the board to weigh the community benefits.

Board members pressed Verizon for alternatives that would reduce visibility: moving antenna locations to parapet walls set back from primary facades, tucking equipment into existing architectural pilasters, using painted cable housings and providing photos or on-site mockups so members could assess real-world sightlines. Several members cautioned that placing antennas on the outer faces of the tower elements—the most prominent features of the garage—would be visually intrusive.

Before agreeing to continue, the board said it expected Verizon to return with: (1) drive-testing/transmitter test results showing coverage and capacity comparisons for parapet and tower placements; (2) full equipment dimensions and cabling details; (3) painted mockups or temporary standoff mounts placed in proposed locations for board viewing; and (4) options that avoid placing visible equipment on the tower faces where possible. The board set the continuation for its June 18 meeting.

No formal action was taken beyond the motion to continue. Staff said they will coordinate mockups and that Verizon will perform further technical testing to refine potential, less-visible placements.