City Expected to Postpone Verizon Wireless Antenna Decision

A City Council decision regarding how to handle improvements to a wireless antenna on San Pablo Avenue likely will be postponed during Monday's council meeting to give the applicant and city officials more time to assess the existing needs and conditions.

At issue is a wireless antenna at that does not conform to Albany's municipal code; it can only be changed in specific ways because of its "legal non-conforming" status. 

Crown Castle, representing Verizon Wireless, has been on the antenna for some time. A representative for Crown Castle has argued in a range of meetings that the changes are simply maintenance, and should be allowed. 

Up to this point, however, various city officials have taken the position that the under the current code because they would actually be improvements and updates, rather than simply maintenance.

The Planning & Zoning Commission denied the application last December. The City Council reviewed the decision and later sent the application back to the commission for additional discussion. Recently, the commission again denied the application, and Crown Castle appealed the decision before the City Council.

The item came before council in September, but was continued to a later date so the city could try to get additional documents from Crown Castle, about a review of existing conditions, and also to give the city time to complete an independent engineering review or analysis.

The application was listed on the Monday, Oct. 3, council agenda, but Albany Patch has been told by the city's Community Development director, Jeff Bond, that a decision isn't likely tonight:

"Staff will be recommending that the City Council not take action on the appeal in order to provide the applicant and the City more time to prepare and review the City Council’s request for detailed background information on the applicant’s RF engineer’s presentation at the September 19, 2011 City Council meeting," wrote Bond on Monday in an email to Albany Patch.

According to a report by Bond, attached here as a PDF, the analysis is in progress and the City Council will inform the public of its findings as soon as they are available. 

Because the item was posted as part of the Oct. 3 agenda, public comment will still be allowed at the meeting.

The applicant's presentation from the Sept. 19 City Council meeting is included here as a PDF.

Everybody makes mistakes ... ! If there's something in this article you think should be corrected, or if something else is amiss, call editor Emilie Raguso at 510-459-8325 or email her at emilier@patch.com.