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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCity Council Committees - Land Use and Planning Board - 07/23/2018Land Use and Planning Board July 23, 2018 Minutes Kent, Washington Pending Approval Page 1 of 3 Date: June 23, 2018 Time: 7:00 p.m. Place: Council Chambers Attending: Paul Hintz, Chair; Katherine Jones, Vice Chair; Ali Shasti; Frank Cornelius; Erin George, Current Planning Manager, Hayley Bonsteel, Long-Range Planning Manager Agenda: 1. Call to Order Chair Hintz called the meeting to order at 7:00 P.M. 2. Roll Call Dale Hartman and Shane Amodei were excused, Gwen Allen-Carston was absent, all other members were present. 3. Added Items None. 4. Communications None. 5. Notice of Upcoming Meetings None. Chair Hintz opened the public hearing for Small Cells at 7:02 P.M. 6. Public Hearing Small Cell Wireless Facilities Erin George presented on wireless telecommunications facilities, otherwise known as “small cells.” Small cells are a relatively new platform by which wireless cellular signals can be broadcast from individual nodes strategically placed throughout the city to increase coverage in high-demand, or less- covered areas. These facilities can be mounted on existing utility poles, and light poles, and connect to the traditional large cellular towers via fiberwire. The objective of the presentation was to convince the Board members that because these cells do not take require additional land to implement, they should be exempt from City code land use review requirements. Under current conditions, each small cell would require an administrative approval, which takes approximately one month to perform and includes a full staff report. Given that there is a projection of 200-300 small cells to be placed over the next three years by Verizon alone, the current paradigm is infeasible. Further changes to the code would allow staff to define for small cells more specifically than the present Washington State definitions. Design guidelines for small cells will be applicable to administrative approval being granted to Land Use and Planning Board July 23, 2018 Minutes Kent, Washington Pending Approval Page 2 of 3 wireless providers and is part of each franchise agreement between the City and parties interested in placing small cells throughout Kent. Kimberlee Allen, representing Verizon Wireless spoke to the technical aspects of small cell facilities. She explained the need for expanded wirless capacity throughout areas requiring heavy-usage, as well as to facilitate the communication for the “internet of things” (household devices that use the internet to interface with eachother). Ms. Allen explained that these facilities are also the backbone for 5G technology (5G is wireless internet which achieves speeds of 20 GB/second). Numerous other large cities are adopting models similar to the model Kent is seeking to implement, wherein the franchise agreement determines the nature of the cells that each party will install. Richard Busch spoke as a representative of AT&T. He believes that Kent should adopt the State definition of small cells rather than create our own. His concern is that the playing field for all wireless providers remain even. Linda Atkins spoke for T-Mobile as an unregistered speaker. She wanted to see language in the definition of the exemption which forces the concealment measures in each franchise agreement to be technologically feasible and accommodate each provider’s technologies equally. 7:45: Frank Cornelius Moved to Approve the amendment as recommended by staff. Seconded by Ali Shasti. Motion Passed 4-0. 7. Sound Transit Update Hayley Bonsteel provided a Sound Transit Link Light Rail update. Her presentation covered such topics as: 1. An overview of the stations: a. Design themes for the KDM and South 272nd Stations, whilch are respectively: i. Confluence: A weaving together of people, places and ideas, and; ii. Luminescence: A warm, welcoming glow at the dge of the forest b. Progress of the development agreement c. Project schedule 2. What’s ahead: a. Permitting the project b. Development i. Achieving TOD goals ii. Utility coordination iii. Regional storm water facility c. Sound Transit’s system access fund Land Use and Planning Board July 23, 2018 Minutes Kent, Washington Pending Approval Page 3 of 3 Adjournment 8:05 Chair Hintz seeing no further business motioned to adjourned the meeting. Samuel M Maloney Planning Technician Economic and Community Development