Body
Department of Community Development
Reference: Wireless Communication Facilities (WCFs) Code Amendment
To: Mayor Kenneth J. Kreutzer and Members of City Council
Chairman Chris Maslanik and Members of Planning Commission
Through: Holly Prather, AICP, Community Development Director
Marv Falconburg, AICP, Assistant City Manager
Philip Rodriguez, City Manager
Prepared By: Mike Tylka, Associate City Planner
Date Prepared: March 14, 2018
PURPOSE
This item is being brought before the City Council and Planning Commission at their joint Study Session on March, 27, 2018 for the purpose of informing the entities on the status of City staff and the Consultant's work on a code amendment to the Land Use and Development Code's Section 17-20-140 titled 'Commercial Mobile Radio Service (CMRS) facilities' ("CMRS Code').
BACKGROUND AND PROJECT STATUS SUMMARY
City staff is currently working with a Consultant, the law firm of Kissinger & Fellman PC, to rewrite Brighton's CMRS Code. This includes a name change for the section to Wireless Communications Facilities ("WCF Code"). The proposed amendment is viewed as necessary as the City does not have clear codified regulations regarding small cell sites. These can be thought of generally as mini-cell towers typically placed on utility poles in the right-of-way (see attached presentation for examples).
In 2017, Governor Hickenlooper signed Colorado House Bill 17-1193 which set state standards for small cell placement. If a City does not have a set process or standards for small cell sites, it is mandated to the review timeframe and guidelines set by the state, including placement in rights-of-way on light poles, traffic signals, and utility poles. Other Colorado municipalities have worked to further outline their own standards for small cells, on top of the state's, and this has allowed them greater control over their placement, design, and a...
Click here for full text