The City of Torrance Telecommunications Committee met on the
petition of T-Mobile USA Inc (Southbay Properties, LLC) for approval of a
Telecom Permit to allow the collocation of a telecommunications facility with 12
antennas designed as a false tree by increasing the height of an existing pole
on property located at 2216 Sepulveda Blvd at Arlington Avenue (SW corner).
This was a continuation of a 2009 meeting.
The Telecommunications Committee approved the false tree, a 59 foot mono-pine
and six equipment cabinets located within a 16-foot tall enclosure. The new
tree replaces a 52.5 foot monopalm currently serving Sprint Nextel. The new
mono-pine will serve both Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile. The elements of the false
tree including branches and pine needles will start 25-feet above ground level.
The three sets of four antennas will be at the 53 foot level.
The following alternate locations were considered for the project:
22836 Arlington Ave rejected due to proximity to residential land uses
2186 Sepulveda church landlord not interested
2205 Sepulveda Walgreens landlord not interested
2191 Sepulveda Landlord not interested
2215 Sepulveda KFC - no space
2225 Sepulveda no space
2237 Sepulveda no space
Ed Gala, T-Mobile was asked the status of two other cell phone towers that T-Mobile filed for in 2009.
Gala advised that T-Mobile has responded to the comments from the residents and
found new locations for the two towers.
The cell phone tower proposed adjacent to the private pre-school at 225th and
Eriel Avenue will be moved east to the strip mall on the
SW corner of Crenshaw Blvd and Sepulveda Blvd. The owner of the strip mall
property previously appeared at a Telecommunications Committee meeting and
expressed interest in discussing locating the tower on his property.
The cell phone tower proposed adjacent to the residential area at the corner of
Anza Avenue and Carmelyn Street will
be moved north to the plant growing area under the Edison high voltage power
lines. A young couple with two pre-school children appealed
this tower to the Planning Commission and had to pay a $250 appeal fee. The
Planning Commission concurred with our recommendation that the
Telecommunications Committee did not comply fully with the applicable city
ordinance on cell phone towers and required additional information from
T-Mobile. It appears T-Mobile has decided to find a new location instead of
furnishing the necessary information to the Telecommunications Committee.
Hopefully, the City will refund their appeal fee.
The City of Torrance does not receive a huge amount of tax revenue from cell
phone towers on private property. Annual leases from cell phone towers in this
area are around $24,000 to $27,000 a year. There is no franchise fee like you
pay on your Time Warner cable bill. A utility tax would be charged for the
electricity to power the equipment but there is no royalty tax for the amount
of data transmitted by the tower.
Thank you to the residents who attended the Planning Commission and
Telecommunications Committee meetings to express your opinions. It motivated
T-Mobile to change the locations and also "adjusted their attitude" about
cooperating with the residents.
petition of T-Mobile USA Inc (Southbay Properties, LLC) for approval of a
Telecom Permit to allow the collocation of a telecommunications facility with 12
antennas designed as a false tree by increasing the height of an existing pole
on property located at 2216 Sepulveda Blvd at Arlington Avenue (SW corner).
This was a continuation of a 2009 meeting.
The Telecommunications Committee approved the false tree, a 59 foot mono-pine
and six equipment cabinets located within a 16-foot tall enclosure. The new
tree replaces a 52.5 foot monopalm currently serving Sprint Nextel. The new
mono-pine will serve both Sprint Nextel and T-Mobile. The elements of the false
tree including branches and pine needles will start 25-feet above ground level.
The three sets of four antennas will be at the 53 foot level.
The following alternate locations were considered for the project:
22836 Arlington Ave rejected due to proximity to residential land uses
2186 Sepulveda church landlord not interested
2205 Sepulveda Walgreens landlord not interested
2191 Sepulveda Landlord not interested
2215 Sepulveda KFC - no space
2225 Sepulveda no space
2237 Sepulveda no space
Ed Gala, T-Mobile was asked the status of two other cell phone towers that T-Mobile filed for in 2009.
Gala advised that T-Mobile has responded to the comments from the residents and
found new locations for the two towers.
The cell phone tower proposed adjacent to the private pre-school at 225th and
Eriel Avenue will be moved east to the strip mall on the
SW corner of Crenshaw Blvd and Sepulveda Blvd. The owner of the strip mall
property previously appeared at a Telecommunications Committee meeting and
expressed interest in discussing locating the tower on his property.
The cell phone tower proposed adjacent to the residential area at the corner of
Anza Avenue and Carmelyn Street will
be moved north to the plant growing area under the Edison high voltage power
lines. A young couple with two pre-school children appealed
this tower to the Planning Commission and had to pay a $250 appeal fee. The
Planning Commission concurred with our recommendation that the
Telecommunications Committee did not comply fully with the applicable city
ordinance on cell phone towers and required additional information from
T-Mobile. It appears T-Mobile has decided to find a new location instead of
furnishing the necessary information to the Telecommunications Committee.
Hopefully, the City will refund their appeal fee.
The City of Torrance does not receive a huge amount of tax revenue from cell
phone towers on private property. Annual leases from cell phone towers in this
area are around $24,000 to $27,000 a year. There is no franchise fee like you
pay on your Time Warner cable bill. A utility tax would be charged for the
electricity to power the equipment but there is no royalty tax for the amount
of data transmitted by the tower.
Thank you to the residents who attended the Planning Commission and
Telecommunications Committee meetings to express your opinions. It motivated
T-Mobile to change the locations and also "adjusted their attitude" about
cooperating with the residents.
Comments