Half Moon Bay Planning Commission Meeting - January 25, 2022
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Half Moon Bay Planning Commission Meeting - January 25, 2022
The Half Moon Bay Planning Commission met on January 25, 2022, via teleconference. The meeting included the election of new officers, approval of previous minutes, and a public hearing for a coastal development permit to replace an AT&T wireless telecommunications tower at 525 Kelly Avenue. The commission voted unanimously (5-0) to approve the project with conditions, including a preference for a pine tree disguise, use of a natural gas generator, and inclusion of an arborist report and an RF pre-test condition.
Consent Calendar
- Approval of Minutes (January 11, 2022): Approved unanimously (5-0) with a minor correction by Commissioner Benjamin regarding tree nutrient recycling in the riparian corridor.
Public Comments & Testimony
- No public comments were made during the general public comment period. During the public hearing, the applicant and consultants provided testimony.
- Jason Osborne (Crown Castle) expressed 100% support for utilizing a monopine design and addressed questions on generator noise and coverage overlap. He agreed to provide a pre-test of existing RF levels as a condition of approval.
- Raj Mathar (Hammett & Edison, licensed professional electrical engineer) stated that the proposed facility will comply with FCC RF exposure limits. Maximum calculated RF exposure at the nearby Abundant Grace building is 13% of the FCC limit, and at the Boys & Girls Club it is 33%, both well below limits.
Discussion Items
- Officer Elections: Commissioner Gorn was elected Chair (5-0), and Commissioner Hernandez was elected Vice Chair (5-0).
- AT&T Wireless Tower Replacement (PDP-21-037): Senior Planner Doug Garrison presented the project. The existing 48-foot tower will be replaced with a new tower that reaches approximately 54 feet to the bottom of new antennas, well within the 20-foot FCC allowance. Federal law (Telecommunications Act of 1996, Spectrum Act of 2012) limits local discretion, but conditions can be imposed. Staff recommended approval and noted a proposed change to Condition C.17 regarding arborist reports.
- Commissioner Hernandez asked about applicant comfort with a pine tree instead of eucalyptus; applicant confirmed pine is feasible and preferred.
- Commissioner Benjamin raised concerns about generator noise and suggested considering fuel cell technology; applicant indicated willingness to adhere to noise standards and possibly install attenuation, but no commitment to fuel cells.
- RF consultant provided cumulative exposure numbers and confirmed safety at nearby buildings.
Key Outcomes
- Approval of Coastal Development Permit and Use Permit for AT&T Tower (File No. PDP-21-037): Approved unanimously (5-0). The motion included conditions to substitute Condition C.17 with the version presented in slides, include an arborist report, prefer a pine tree disguise, use a natural gas generator, and include an RF pre-test to measure existing electromagnetic field levels.
- Resignation Announcement: Commissioner Polgar announced her resignation from the Planning Commission, effective after the February 8, 2022 meeting, to return to her role with Coastside Land Trust.
Meeting Transcript
If you're okay with that chair. Yes, please. All right. So it just would like to. Um, good evening, and welcome to the January twenty fifth two thousand twenty-two Happen Bay Planning Commission. Um, we have a couple items to go over before we officially start this meeting tonight. Um this meeting is being um I'm sorry, this this meeting is live on Comcast Local Channel Twenty Seven and on the Pacific Coast TV's website. We do have a few attendees in the audience. So um just want to let you know that you do have the opportunity to speak. Um attendees um will be acknowledged by the chair during the general public comment section, and then um again during public comment on these specific items that we speak or that they speak upon this evening. Um during those times, um you'll want to go ahead and raise your hand with the raise hand icon and I will assist the chair with the public comments at that time. Um if you've dialed in on telephone, please push star six to mute and unmute and star nine to raise and unraise uh your hand. Otherwise, um computer tablets, phones, etc. have the icon raise hand feature on that. Three minutes will be given for each commenter and a timer will show up on the screen. Um I believe there were no public comments, but there were um planning commission um questions and concerns, and I believe that Doug either reached out to the planning commissioners and um he will be also um covering some of those those topics in his presentation this evening. I thank you for your patience during our continued remote meeting uh platform and I will now hand it over to Chair Reddick to officially begin this evening's meeting. Thank you, Bridget. As uh as Bridget said, it's my pleasure to call to order this um meeting of the Half Moon Bay Planning Commission for January 25 uh 2022. And will you please uh join me in the Pledge of Allegiance to get things started? I pledge allegiance in the flag of the United States of America to the Republic for which it stands. Thank you. Yes, Commissioner Hernandez present, Commissioner Gorn. I'm here. Uh Commissioner Benjamin. Also here. Vice Chair Polgar here. And Chair Redick? Here. You have everyone present this evening. Thank you. That brings us to consideration of the minutes of our last meeting, which was January 11th of this year. Uh Commissioner Benjamin. Uh yes, thank you. Uh, and good evening. Uh just uh a tiny little nip in the uh in the discussion of the uh tree that was placed on that. We talked about at the last meeting. The idea is that it would be uh potentially staked to a flat area uh in the riparian corridor. And the notes were that was so that um uh it would uh be stabilizing the bank. In fact, it's just that we're recycling the nutrients. Um so other than that, um I was fine with them and uh happy to move that they're approved if no one else has any uh corrections. I second the motion to approve the minutes. Thank you. Um Commissioner Commissioner Hernandez. I commissioner Gorn. Yes, Commissioner Benjamin. Yes, Vice Chair Pogar, yes. And Chair Reddick. Yes. Motion approved.
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