CC RES 2000-053RESOLUTION NO. 2000 -53
A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
RANCHO PALOS VERDES DENYING THE APPEAL AND
UPHOLDING THE PLANNING COMMISSION'S DENIAL OF
CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT NO. 207 WITH PREJUDICE,
FOR THE PROPOSED COMMERCIAL USE OF EXISTING
ANTENNAE ON AN EXISTING ANTENNA SUPPORT
STRUCTURE, LOCATED AT 44 OCEANAIRE DRIVE IN THE
DEL CERRO NEIGHBORHOOD
WHEREAS, on January 8, 1990, the applicant/appellant, Mark Abrams, received
approval of an application for Site Plan Review No. 5322 to permit the construction of a 40-
foot -tall amateur radio antenna support structure and array on his property at 44 Oceanaire
Drive in the Del Cerro neighborhood, which could be used only for amateur radio
communications and was conditioned expressly to exclude commercial operations; and
WHEREAS, on January 19, 1998, Mr. Abrams received approval of an application
for Site Plan Review No. 8017 to permit the construction of a second, similar amateur radio
antenna support structure and array on the same property; and
WHEREAS, on January 20, 1998, the City's approval of Site Plan Review No. 8017
was appealed to the Planning Commission by Karyl Newton, the owner of the adjacent
property at 46 Oceanaire Drive; and
WHEREAS, at a duly noticed public hearing on the appeal of Site Plan Review
No. 8017, Mr. Abrams admitted that there was at least one antenna on the existing support
structure and array that was used for commercial purposes, and evidence was also
presented to the Planning Commission which confirmed this commercial use and
demonstrated that the existing antenna support structure and array was taller than forty feet
(40'0 "); and
WHEREAS, the Planning Commission's consideration of the appeal of Site Plan
Review No. 8017 was continued to a date certain, and was subsequently tabled by the
imposition of a moratorium on applications for second antenna support structures, and the
application subsequently was voided by the enactment of revisions to the City's antenna
regulations; and
WHEREAS, the City investigated the allegations regarding the height of the existing
antenna support structure and array and found that Building Permit No. 9827 had been
erroneously issued and finaled in 1990 to allow the antenna support structure and array to
exceed the 40 -foot height limit; and
WHEREAS, the City obtained warrants from the court and retained an expert in the
field of radio transmissions, Dr. Henry Richter, to monitor transmissions from the site in
connection with an investigation of the allegations regarding commercial use of the existing
antennae and found that the allegations were valid. Subsequently, on June 29, 1999, the
Los Angeles County Superior Court granted the City's motion for a preliminary injunction,
and on September 13, 1999, the court issued its written order, preventing Mr. Abrams from
using the antennae for commercial purposes unless and until the City approved a
conditional use permit for that use; and
WHEREAS, Section 17.76.020(A) of the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code
requires an individual to obtain a conditional use permit to install or operate a commercial
antenna within the City of Rancho Palos Verdes ( "City "). Section 17.96.090 defines the
term "commercial antenna" as follows:
"'Commercial Antenna' means all antennas, parabolic dishes, relay towers
and antenna support structures used for the transmission or reception of
radio, television and communication signals for commercial purposes. For
the purpose of this definition, `commercial purposes' shall mean
communications for hire or material compensation, or the use of commercial
frequencies, as these terms are defined by the Federal Communications
Commission (FCC). `Commercial antennas' shall not include antennas
owned or operated by governmental agencies; and microcell cellular
antennas, owned and operated by state licensed cellular telephone utility
companies, located on existing utility poles within the public right -of- way."
Under these provisions of the Rancho Palos Verdes Municipal Code, the applicant,
Mr. Abrams, was required to obtain a conditional use permit from the City to use his
existing antennae and antenna support structure to broadcast on commercial frequencies,
as determined by the Federal Communications Commission ( "FCC "); and
WHEREAS, on July 12, 1999, September 30, 1999, and January 21, 2000,
Mr. Abrams submitted applications and supplemental information for Conditional Use
Permit No. 207 and Environmental Assessment No. 720 to allow the commercial use of
certain of the existing antennae on the existing antenna support structure on his property
in the Del Cerro neighborhood; and
WHEREAS, on January 31, 2000, the applications for Conditional Use Permit
No. 207 and Environmental Assessment No. 720 were deemed complete by Staff; and
WHEREAS, pursuant to the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act,
Public Resources Code Sections 21000 et. seq. ( "CEQA "), the State's CEQA Guidelines,
California Code of Regulations, Title 14, Section 15000 et. seq., the City's Local CEQA
Guidelines, and Government Code Section 65962.5(f) (Hazardous Waste and Substances
Statement), the City of Rancho Palos Verdes prepared an Initial Study and determined that
the approval of Conditional Use Permit No. 207 could result in a significant adverse effect
Resolution No. 2000 -53
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upon the environment unless mitigation measures were imposed and, therefore, a draft
Mitigated Negative Declaration has been prepared and notice of same was given in the
manner required by law; and
WHEREAS, after notice issued pursuant to the requirements of the Rancho Palos
Verdes Development Code and the State CEQA Guidelines, the Planning Commission held
a duly noticed public hearing on April 25, 2000, and May 9, 2000, at which time all
interested parties were given an opportunity to be heard and present evidence; and
WHEREAS, on May 9, 2000, the Planning Commission adopted P.C. Resolution
No. 2000 -12, thereby denying the application for Conditional Use Permit No. 207 with
prejudice; and
WHEREAS, on May 10, 2000, within the 15 -day appeal period prescribed by Section
17.80.070 of the Rancho Palos Verdes Development Code, Mr. Abrams appealed the
Planning Commission's denial of Conditional Use Permit No. 207 to the City Council; and
WHEREAS, after notice issued pursuant to the requirements of the Rancho Palos
Verdes Development Code, the City Council held a duly noticed public hearing on June 6,
2000, and July 5, 2000, at which time all interested parties were given an opportunity to be
heard and present evidence; and
WHEREAS, after the public hearing was closed on July 5, 2000, the applicant
objected to some of the information that had been submitted to the City Council during the
public hearing and also sought to present additional information to the City Council, even
though the public hearing already had been closed; and
WHEREAS, in order to address Mr. Abrams' concerns, on July 18, 2000, the City
Council directed staff to re- notice the public hearing so that it could be re- opened and any
additional information that is relevant to the application could be considered by the City
Council prior to making a decision on the application; and
WHEREAS, the re- opened public hearing was held on August 15, 2000, at which
time all interested parties were given an opportunity to be heard and present evidence that
had not been presented previously to the City Council;
NOW, THEREFORE, THE CITY COUNCIL DOES HEREBY FIND, DETERMINE,
AND RESOLVE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1: The site is not adequate in size and shape to accommodate the
proposed commercial use because Sections 17.76.020(A)(5) and 17.76.020(A)(8) of the
Rancho Palos Verdes Development Code require that the proposed commercial use "have
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the least visual impact on the environment" and provide landscaping and screening to
"screen and buffer towers, accessory uses and stored equipment," respectively, but the
existing tower is sited and designed to take maximum advantage of the elevation and
topography, and not to minimize its visual impacts on adjacent properties. If the subject
property were larger so that the tower could be located further from adjacent residences
and rights -of -way, the increased distance might have the effect of screening and buffering
the visual impacts of the existing tower. Attempting to screen the existing tower and
antennae with foliage would not be effective because most surrounding properties are at
the same elevation or only slightly higher than the subject property. Therefore, given the
constraints of the subject property, it is not reasonably possible to reduce the visual
impacts of the existing tower and antennae without modifying its height, location and /or
configuration.
Section 2: In response to a question that was posed during the public hearing on
the appeal, the applicant, Mr. Abrams, stated that he would not consider any alteration or
reduction of the height, size, configuration or location of the existing tower or any of the
antennae located thereon in order to reduce the visual and aesthetic impacts of the
antenna tower upon adjacent properties or the surrounding neighborhood. On the other
hand, the City's expert, Dr. Richter, testified that in his professional opinion, if the height
of the applicant's antenna support structure and the antennas located thereon were
reduced from the current height of fifty -two and one -half feet to forty feet, there would not
be an appreciable change in the applicant's ability to transmit radio signals. Dr. Richter
further opined that it was possible to reduce the overall mass of the antenna structure and
the number of antennae located thereon and still allow Mr. Abrams to transmit both on
commercial and amateur frequencies from his property at 44 Oceanaire Drive.
Section 3: The approval of the subject commercial use at this specific location will
result in significant adverse effects on adjacent properties and the permitted use thereof
because the commercial use of some of the antennae constitutes an intensification of the
use of the antennae, and this intensification of use financially benefits the applicant and his
business while causing negative visual impacts from the location, height and size of the
antenna tower upon surrounding residential properties.
A.
B.
The application that was approved by the City in 1990 was for an amateur
antenna structure that was expressly conditioned not to be used for
commercial purposes and not to exceed forty feet in height, and the applicant
expressly agreed to those conditions. Notwithstanding those conditions, the
antenna structure was constructed at a height of fifty -two and one -half feet.
In addition, when the City's expert, Dr. Henry Richter, monitored radio
transmissions from the subject property in 1999, pursuant to a warrant issued
by the court to the City, Dr. Richter detected transmissions on at least three
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commercial frequencies that had been licensed previously by the FCC to be
transmitted from the subject property. Mr. Abrams testified that those
transmissions were sent from portable tripod antennas that were located on
the ground, behind the rear wall of the subject property and not from the
existing structure that had been permitted by the City, and that due to their
location behind the wall, they did not function well. However, the City Council
cannot determine the accuracy of the applicant's testimony. The City's
expert, Dr. Richter, testified that while he was monitoring the site, he could
clearly see the rear wall of the property, which he photographed, and he did
not observe any tripod antennas that exceeded the height of the rear wall so
that the wall would not have interfered with the commercial transmissions
from the alleged portable antennas. Mr. Abrams' application demonstrates
that the three tallest antennae that are located on the uppermost portion of
the antenna support structure would accommodate commercial use, as
would many of the other antennae that are located elsewhere on the antenna
support structure. (See also, paragraph 1 of Abrams' letter dated August 11,
2000.) Thus, it appears that one of the purposes of the existing antenna
structure at its current height of fifty -two and a half feet was to accommodate
the commercial use of some of the antennae that are located on the tower,
even though the permit issued by the City in 1990 specifically provided that
no commercial transmissions could occur and that the height of the antenna
structure could not exceed forty feet.
Currently, the tower is visually prominent within the neighborhood, and due
to its height, configuration and close proximity to surrounding residences and
lack of screening or buffers, it has an adverse impact upon adjacent
properties. The applicant testified that he would not be willing to modify the
antenna tower or any of the antennae located thereon to reduce the adverse
aesthetic and visual impacts. Therefore, although the approval of the
proposed use would not create new adverse visual impacts, it would
perpetuate existing adverse visual impacts in support of a use that
disproportionately benefits the commercial interests of the applicant to the
detriment of the immediately surrounding neighborhood.
In addition to the visual impacts of the existing antennae and tower, the
establishment of a commercial antenna of this size and scale in the Del Cerro
neighborhood would establish precedent for, and contribute to, adverse
cumulative visual impacts due to future proposals for similar projects. Such
proposals are likely given the neighborhood's elevation, topography and
unique geographic setting and would have significant adverse cumulative
effects upon neighborhood aesthetics and residential property values.
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Section 4: The proposed commercial use of the antennae and the tower is
contrary to the City's General Plan, which contains the following goals and policies:
It is the goal of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes to preserve and enhance the
community's quality living environment; to enhance the visual character and
physical quality of existing neighborhoods; and to encourage the
development of housing in a manner which adequately serves the needs of
all present and future residents of the community. [Rancho Palos Verdes
General Plan, Urban Environment Element, Activity Area Goals (p. 56)]
The City shall discourage industrial and major commercial activities due to
the terrain and environmental characteristics of the City. Commercial
development shall be carefully and strictly controlled, and limited to
consideration of convenience or neighborhood service facilities. [Rancho
Palos Verdes General Plan, Urban Environment Element, Activity Area Goals
(p. 56)]
It shall be a goal of the City to ensure adequate public utilities and
communications services to all residents, while maintaining the quality of the
environment. [Rancho Palos Verdes General Plan, Urban Environment
Element, Infrastructure Goals (p. 100)]
Require adequate landscaping or buffering techniques for all new and
existing facilities and networks, in order to reduce the visual impacts of many
infrastructure facilities and networks. [Rancho Palos Verdes General Plan,
Urban Environment Element, Infrastructure Policy No. 8 (p. 138)]
Although these goals and policies acknowledge the need for commercial
development and the provision of communications services for the City's residents, they
also call upon the City to balance these community needs with the preservation of the
quality of the City's residential neighborhoods. The City has attempted to balance these
objectives by encouraging the installation of commercial antennae in non - single - family
residential areas, and the utilization of screening techniques to camouflage the appearance
of commercial antennae to the maximum extent practicable, especially in residential zones.
As a result, most commercial antennae previously approved by the City have been
proposed for properties that are not zoned or used for single - family residential purposes,
or have employed screening techniques to fully (or at least partially) mask the appearance
of the antennae.
As is discussed in the Staff report that was prepared for the July 5, 2000 City
Council meeting, the City has approved two conditional use permits for the construction of
antennae in residential zones which are being used for commercial transmissions. In both
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cases, the antennae were located in a manner that was unobtrusive and did not cause
adverse visual and aesthetic impacts upon surrounding residential properties.
In this case, the subject property and surrounding neighborhood are designated
Residential, 1 -2 DU /acre in the City's General Plan, which is a land use designation
intended to accommodate low- density neighborhoods of detached, single - family homes and
related accessory uses and structures. The use of the existing antenna support structure
and array for amateur purposes is an accessory use to the primary use of the property as
a single - family residence, but the proposed commercial use of some of the existing
antennae constitutes an intensification of the use of the tower such that the use of the
antenna support structure and array is no longer clearly subordinate to the primary
permitted use of the subject property. Because this application involves approval of the
commercial use of the antennae, which previously was conducted in violation of the
Municipal Code, it cannot be determined with certainty how many of the existing antennae
were placed on the site for the commercial use and how many were used solely for
amateur purposes in accordance with the prior City approval. In addition, unlike the other
two antenna structures that were approved for commercial use in residential areas, the size
and configuration of the current site and the close proximity of the tower to surrounding
residences provides little or no opportunity for effective visual screening and buffering of
the tower, which is inconsistent with the General Plan goals and policies discussed in this
section.
Section 5: There is at least one, and may be additional locations within the City
that can accommodate the applicant's proposed commercial transmissions. The applicant
has testified that although he currently is using a private structure located at the FAA's San
Pedro Hill site, that site is no longer available to him, because the operator of the area
where the commercial antennae are located has asked him to remove his equipment. Mr.
Abrams also testified that the County of Los Angeles' antenna site on Crestridge Road is
not available to him. Mr. Abrams claims that these are the most technically optimal
locations to which he could relocate his existing facilities.
Mr. Abrams initially testified that the location at 44 Oceanaire Drive is the only
location in the City that is available for his commercial use. He later testified that there are
other locations in the City where he could locate his commercial antenna equipment, but
that it would be cost - prohibitive for him to do so, due to the additional height of the antenna
support structure that would be needed. He stated that there is no location within the City,
including the subject site, that would provide the ability to transmit to all areas of the City
and the Palos Verdes Peninsula, because the topography of the area prevents complete
coverage from any one location. He submitted evidence that there are several locations
where he could actually improve the coverage of his transmissions, if an antenna support
structure of approximately two hundred feet or more were constructed. Mr. Abrams did not
present testimony regarding the height of the antenna structures that would be required at
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the other locations in order to duplicate the degree of coverage that he presently has at the
subject property.
The City requested that its expert, Dr. Richter, conduct studies of several different
sites within the City to determine if any of the sites could be used by the applicant in place
of the current location at 44 Oceanaire Drive. Dr. Richter ran propagation studies from Mr.
Abrams' property and from four other properties in the City. Dr. Richter's studies
demonstrated that there is at least one alternative site in the City, at the St. John Fisher
Church, located on Crest Road, where the applicant's ability to transmit would be increased
above the level of coverage from the Oceanaire Drive site, if an eighty -foot antenna support
structure were constructed. Dr. Richter disagrees with the conclusions of Mr. Abrams'
expert that a 200 -foot antenna would be required at the church site in order to have
adequate coverage and has concluded that an eighty -foot antenna would provide adequate
transmission coverage on the south side of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and would provide
improved coverage to the north. It is the opinion of City Staff that if an eighty -foot antenna
were located on the church property, it probably would not require a setback variance or
demolition of existing structures.
The pastor of the St. John Fisher Church submitted a letter to the City, dated July
3, 2000, stating that the Church was interested in allowing an antenna support structure on
that property, either adjacent to the existing maintenance building or incorporated within
a structure that is designed as a church bell tower. Mr. Abrams testified that he had met
with representatives of the church, and that they had indicated a willingness to explore the
possible construction of an antenna tower on the church property. Mr. Abrams submitted
a copy of a 1956 deed restriction on that site that he alleges will prevent the church
property from being used for this purpose. However, the deed restriction states that it
expired as of January 1, 1982.
Thus, there is substantial evidence in the record that refutes the applicant's claim
that there are no other viable alternate sites available to him, if the current application is
denied. Instead, it appears that there is at least one alternate site that could accommodate
the applicant's proposed commercial use that would have fewer or no adverse impacts on
surrounding properties than the proposed location at 44 Oceanaire Drive.
Section 6: The proposed project is not consistent with the City's Wireless
Communications Antenna Development Guidelines. The site and configuration of the
proposed project is located conspicuously on an existing single - family residence. The size
and scale of the proposed use suggests that it is not clearly ancillary to the primary
permitted use of the site as a single - family residence (Guideline No. 2). Although the
Guidelines encourage co- location of commercial antennae on existing towers (Guideline
No. 3), the future placement of additional commercial antennae at this site probably would
increase the size and /or configuration of the existing antenna structure and would intensify
Resolution No. 2000 -53
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the commercial use of the site, which would not be consistent with the general intent of the
Guidelines to balance the need to provide wireless communications coverage with the need
to maintain the quality of life for residents. In addition, although the existing tower does not
impair protected views, as defined in the City's Development Code, it is highly visible in the
neighborhood immediately surrounding the subject property (Guideline No. 4). The
approval of the project as currently proposed would disproportionately benefit the
applicant's commercial interests, while causing a significant adverse aesthetic impact upon
the surrounding residential neighborhood and the general public, resulting in an imbalance
of private versus public costs and benefits (Guideline No. 5). Finally, the size and scale of
the proposed project and its close proximity to surrounding residents precludes effective
visual screening of the existing antenna support structure and array (Guideline No. 9), since
the applicant has testified that he is not willing to modify the height or configuration of the
existing antenna support structure or the antennae that are located on the structure.
Section 7: The denial of Conditional Use Permit No. 207 is consistent with the
local zoning authority reserved to the City of Rancho Palos Verdes by the
Telecommunications Act of 1996 (47 U.S.C. 332(c)(7)) ( "the Act ") for the following reasons:
A.
The denial of Conditional Use Permit No. 207 "[does] not unreasonably
discriminate among providers of functionally equivalent services...and [does]
not prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting the provision of personal wireless
services" (47 U.S.C. 332(c)(7), subsections (B)(i)(I) and (II)), because:
1.
The applicant has admitted that not all of the commercial
services that he provides are within the scope of the Act and
that no one site within the City, including the site at 44
Oceanaire Drive, can provide complete transmission coverage
throughout the entire City or the Palos Verdes Peninsula.
2. Mr. Abrams has refused to consider reducing the size or
configuration of his existing antenna support structure to make
it more compatible with the surrounding residential area or to
consider transmitting from smaller antennas at multiple
locations within the City. Despite his refusal to mitigate the
adverse aesthetic impacts of the antenna support structure
upon the surrounding residential neighborhood, Mr. Abrams
nevertheless erroneously contends that under the Act, he is
entitled to commercial use of the structure that he already
constructed.
3. In reviewing all of the applications to provide personal wireless
services within the City, the City has applied consistently its
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regulations to these facilities so as to approve facilities that are
compatible with surrounding uses and to modify or deny
applications that will have adverse visual and aesthetic impacts
upon surrounding properties. The instant application is being
denied because it will result in adverse visual and aesthetic
impacts upon adjacent properties, and the applicant has
refused to alter the antenna structure to eliminate those
impacts. Accordingly, the denial of the proposed project does
not unreasonably discriminate between the applicant's project
and that of any other service provider.
4. The denial of this specific proposal does not prohibit the
applicant from providing wireless communications services
because the applicant still has the ability to propose the
relocation of these services to another site or sites that meet all
of the required findings for approval by the City. The City has
previously approved applications for commercial antennae for
a variety of commercial wireless services and service
providers, including applications for properties that were zoned
or used for single - family residential purposes. Accordingly, the
denial of this particular application also does not result in a ban
or prohibition of, or have the effect of prohibiting, the placement
of these types of facilities within the City of Rancho Palos
Verdes.
5. The denial of this application does not prohibit or have the
effect of prohibiting personal wireless services because Mr.
Abrams is able to transmit to a few areas within the City from
commercial antennas that are located outside of the City,
without the existing antenna at 44 Oceanaire Drive, although
he has testified that there will be a significant gap in the
coverage he provides if the application to utilize the Oceanaire
property is not approved. (Mr. Abrams testified that there are
gaps in coverage even if this application is approved.) In
addition, denial of the application to broadcast commercially
from 44 Oceanaire does not prevent Mr. Abrams from applying
to broadcast commercially from one or more other locations in
the City, including from the St. John Fisher church site.
Meanwhile, there are cellular antennas and other antennas
located within the City that currently provide personal wireless
services to the public throughout most of the City and the Palos
Verdes Peninsula from facilities that are not causing the
Resolution No. 2000 -53
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adverse visual and aesthetic impacts that will be caused by the
instant application.
6. Mr. Abrams' proposal to use the existing antenna tower located
at his residence for commercial use is the least expensive,
most cost effective means for him to provide commercial
service, since he will not have to pay anyone to use a different
site that he does not own, and he will be able to charge others
who use that location from which to broadcast their commercial
signals. Mr. Abrams and his attorneys contend that the City
has no discretion under the Act to deny the instant application.
However, this interpretation is contrary to the express language
of Section 704 of the Act, which allows local governmental
entities to make decisions regarding the placement,
construction and modification of personal wireless service
facilities in accordance with the provisions of the Act. Under
the Act, Mr. Abrams is not entitled to the precise height,
configuration and location of the antenna support structure that
he has designed for the particular technology that he has
chosen to utilize to broadcast commercially, especially since he
has refused to modify his existing antenna support structure or
the technology that he uses to eliminate the adverse aesthetic
impacts upon adjacent properties. Also, the fact that Mr.
Abrams received City approval for an amateur radio antenna
structure, which was expressly conditioned not to be used for
commercial purposes, and then broadcast commercially from
his property without having obtained the required conditional
use permit from the City, also does not entitle him to approval
under the Act or prevent the City from denying the application
for a conditional use permit to broadcast commercially.
The application for this Conditional Use Permit was deemed complete by City
Staff, on January 31, 2000. The City has acted on both the applicant's
request for Conditional Use Permit No. 207 and this appeal "within a
reasonable period of time after the request [was] duly filed with [the City],
taking into account the nature and scope of such request" (47 U.S.C.
332(c)(7), subsection (B)(ii)). This application and the appeal have been
processed by the City in a timely fashion and in accordance with the time
lines established by the State Permit Streamlining Act and CEQA, and the
Telecommunications Act. Indeed, the most recent delay in adopting this
resolution was caused primarily by Mr. Abrams' request to augment the
record, which could not have been accomplished without re- noticing and re-
Resolution No. 2000 -53
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C.
D.
opening the public hearing. The timing for providing notice of the hearing to
the newspaper required an additional delay of twenty -eight days.
The decision to deny the application for Conditional Use Permit No. 207 "[is]
in writing and supported by substantial evidence contained in a written
record" (47 U.S.C. 332(c)(7), subsection (B)(iii)). This Resolution, along with
P.C. Resolution No. 2000 -12, the Staff reports prepared for all of the
Planning Commission and the City Council meetings, the project plans, all of
the correspondence and testimony presented to the Planning Commission
and City Council, including, without limitation, the testimony presented at the
August 15, 2000 City Council meeting, the additional material submitted by
Mr. Abrams, the testimony and reports by the City's expert, Dr. Henry
Richter, and by the other interested parties, and the Minutes of both the
Planning Commission hearing and these proceedings, all of which are
incorporated herein by this reference, provide a written record of the basis for
the City Council's decision in this matter.
In denying the application for Conditional Use Permit No. 207, the City has
not "[regulated] the placement, construction, and modification of personal
wireless service facilities on the basis of the environmental effects of radio
frequency emissions to the extent that such facilities comply with the [Federal
Communications] Commission's regulations concerning such emissions" (47
U.S.C. 332(c)(7), subsection (B)(iv)). Although radio frequency emission are
identified as an environmental effect in the draft Mitigated Negative
Declaration prepared for this application, the environmental analysis clearly
states that these effects are not significant and are not within the City's
purview to consider or regulate. In addition, the City Attorney advised the
City Council that the City Council could not consider any environmental
effects of emissions that comply with FCC regulations, including purported
impacts upon health or alleged interference with television reception. The
City Council has relied upon that advice and the provisions of the Act and,
therefore, has not based its decision to deny the proposed project in any
respect upon any actual or perceived environmental effects attributable to
radio frequency emissions.
Section 8: The draft Mitigated Negative Declaration that was prepared by Staff,
in conjunction with Conditional Use Permit No. 207, is not adopted by the City Council
because the City Council finds that the approval of the proposed project will result in
significant adverse visual and aesthetic impacts upon properties surrounding the project
site, both singularly and cumulatively.
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Section 9: The time within which the judicial review of the decision reflected in
this Resolution, if available, must be sought is governed by Section 1094.6 of the California
Code of Civil Procedure and other applicable short periods of limitation. Pursuant to the
Telecommunications Act of 1996 (47 U.S.C. 332(c)(7)(B)(v)), any person adversely
affected by the City's final action in this matter may, within thirty (30) days after such action,
commence an action in any court of competent jurisdiction.
Section 10: For the foregoing reasons and based on the information and findings
included in the Staff Report, Minutes and other records of proceedings, the City Council of
the City of Rancho Palos Verdes hereby denies, with prejudice, Conditional Use Permit
No. 207 for the proposed commercial use of existing antennae on an existing antenna
support structure and array located at 44 Oceanaire Drive in the Del Cerro neighborhood.
However, this denial is without prejudice to Mr. Abrams's ability to file an application for a
conditional use permit to transmit commercially at another location in the City.
PASSED, APPROVED, AND ADOPTED this 15th day of August 2000.
tV\\
MAYOR
ATTEST:
STATE OF CALIFORNIA )
COUNTY OF LOS ANGELES ) ss
CITY OF RANCHO PALOS VERDES )
1, JO PURCELL, City Clerk of the City of Rancho Palos Verdes, do hereby certify
that the above Resolution No. 2000 -53 was duly and regularly passed and adopted by the
said City Council at a regular meeting thereof held on August 15, 2000.
M: \Projects \CUP 207_EA 720 (Abrams) \Resolution 2000- 53.doc
City 6lerk
City • Rancho Palos Verdes
Resolution No. 2000 -53
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