Valdez planning commission approves 100-foot emergency radio tower at Fire Station 1

The Valdez Planning and Zoning Commission voted to approve conditional use permit 26-03 on July 22, allowing a 100-foot wireless communications tower to be installed on Block 5, Lot 20 (Plat 79-7) adjacent to Fire Station 1.

City Manager Nate Devon, the project applicant, told commissioners the tower is part of a system upgrade intended to replace aging state-run infrastructure that ties into the city’s 9-1-1 dispatch and to provide in-town redundancy and broader coverage. “This tower is a component of a major project related to upgrading and replacing the public safety radio system,” Devon said during the hearing. He also told the commission the project has received a federal earmark of $5,500,000 to support construction.

The commission weighed alternatives and public comment before voting. Residents raised concerns about views, property values and the potential for future additions to the site; Jessica Elder, who lives adjacent to the proposed lot on West Klutina, said the presence of a tower “will affect my family … and I believe there will be this will be something buyers will see” when she asked the commission to consider another location.

Commissioners and staff discussed technical constraints including tsunami inundation mapping, cable and conduit challenges, and the need to colocate equipment with the emergency operations center for resilience. Matthew Osborne, the city’s IT director, explained the operational importance of that proximity and cited past disruptions after regional earthquakes as part of the rationale for the chosen site.

A procedural concern about code compliance arose over the municipal requirement for an 8-foot perimeter fence. Staff told the commission the city attorney advised that the proposed security measures (video monitoring, manned monitoring and anti-climb devices) satisfy the code’s intent without requiring a variance; the commission retained the option to require a fence as a condition. The hearing record shows the motion carried by voice vote with a tally announced as 4 yeas, 2 nays and 1 absent.

The commission adopted the staff-prepared draft findings as part of the approval, and staff and the applicant will proceed with the next administrative steps for permit implementation.