DATE: April 8, 2013 REPORT NO. CD2013-040 TO: FROM: Chair and Members Committee of the Whole Community Services Gregory Dworak, General Manager Community Services 1.0 TYPE OF REPORT CONSENT ITEM [ ] ITEM FOR CONSIDERATION [ X ] 2.0 TOPIC 2.1 Development: Three Telecommunication Towers 2.2 Proponent: Bell Mobility 2.3 Location: 331 King George Road 67 Sinclair Boulevard 148 Mohawk Street 3.0 RECOMMENDATIONS THAT Industry Canada be advised that the City of Brantford has no concerns with Bell Mobility s proposed installation of three telecommunication towers to be located at 331 King George Road, 67 Sinclair Boulevard and 148 Mohawk Street. 4.0 PURPOSE The purpose of this report is to provide Council with information and analysis on the installation of three telecommunication towers proposed by Bell Mobility, to be installed at 331 King George Road, 67 Sinclair Boulevard and 148 Mohawk Street. This planning report lends background to the proposal and provides a technical review, including a recommendation based on the planning merits of the proposal.
April 8, 2013 Page 2 5.0 BACKGROUND Between October and December 2012, Bell Mobility submitted to the City proposals for the installation of three telecommunication towers to be located at 331 King George Road, 67 Sinclair Boulevard and 148 Mohawk Street. Bell submitted these proposals to the City to fulfill Industry Canada s requirement for consultation with and seeking concurrence from the local land use authority. Municipal review of telecommunication towers and antennas is subject to the City s Protocol for the Development or Redevelopment of Telecommunication Towers and/or Antennas (Appendix E) adopted by Council in January 2008. The protocol sets out detailed procedures for the review of telecommunication facilities to be installed in the City. The Protocol includes the following: objectives of the review process; criteria for what kind of towers and antennas are subject to the Protocol, for example, a new tower greater than 7m above ground is subject to the Protocol; responsibility of designated municipal official (Planning Director) in the review process; preliminary consultation process; public notification and consultation processes; municipal response process; criteria for what kind of facilities are exemption from the public consultation requirement, for example, a ground supported tower more than 500m away from residential uses is exempt from the public consultation process; definition of key terms; municipal review and consultation process timeline; site selection guidelines and facility design guidelines and principles, for example, co-location vs. new tower; submission requirements for exempt and non-exempt installations; and application fee requirements. The municipal consultation process is part of the requirements by Industry Canada in the approval of telecommunication facilities. The undertaking of telecommunication facilities is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Federal government. The provisions of the Ontario Planning Act and municipal bylaws and regulations do not apply to Federal undertakings. While the consultation process allows local land use authorities and the public to have input in proposals of telecommunication facilities, local authorities do not have the power to approve or disapprove the location or construction of such facilities. Industry Canada is the ultimate approval authority of such facilities under the Radio- Communication Act. Above the local protocol, Industry Canada s Client Procedure Circular CPC-2-0- 03 provides criteria and guidelines that govern similar aspects as those of the
April 8, 2013 Page 3 City s Protocol, such as site selection, facility design and the local and public consultation processes. This procedure is the ultimate standard the development of telecommunication facilities will adhere to and Industry Canada is the ultimate decision maker when differences between this procedure and a local protocol arise. The municipal review and public consultation process for these proposals have been completed according to both the federal and local procedures, and staff s analysis and recommendation are provided in this report. 6.0 CORPORATE POLICY CONTEXT 6.1 Community Strategic Plan The Community Strategic Plan calls for fiscal responsibility and well managed city government that provides efficient and effective services, and that Brantford will strive to be a business friendly community and a safe and healthy community that promotes and enables the well-being of its citizens. Telecommunication facilities are vital to today s civic and business life of the citizens of Brantford. Facilitating the installation of the proposed telecommunication towers at appropriate locations helps to provide better telecommunication coverage and connection for underserviced areas, and represents a good balance among promoting business and communication, maintaining a healthy environment for the community and delivering effective services to its citizens. 7.0 INPUT FROM OTHER SOURCES 7.1 Technical Liaison Response These proposals were circulated to internal departments and external agencies for review. The proposals, after being modified according to technical comments from the circulation, have addressed the concerns previously identified. 7.2 Public Consultation Property owners (including those in Brant County and Six Nations) surrounding the proposed tower locations were notified of the proposals. Being more than 500m away from a residential use, the 67 Sinclair Boulevard location is exempt from the public consultation requirement of the City s Protocol. A public open house was advertised and held on February 5, 2013 for the other two locations. No one from the public attended the open house, and no comments from the public, the County, Six Nations, the Woodland Cultural Centre, or any other sources have been received to date.
April 8, 2013 Page 4 8.0 ANALYSIS 8.1 Site Selection In the proposals Bell provides justifications for the installation of these towers. According to Bell, the increasing use of wireless communication devices such as pagers, smart phones, mobile radios and broadband internet devices for personal, business and emergency purposes requires the development of new telecommunication infrastructure. Bell has identified three key areas in the City of Brantford that are underserviced by adequate wireless coverage the north end, the south side, and the east end. In these areas, the voice and data quality of wireless devices is poor, dropped calls are frequent, and in extreme cases it is impossible to place mobile calls to critical emergency services. After surveying existing facilities in and around these areas and evaluating the feasibility of using existing facilities, Bell has determined that it is technically inferior or impossible to co-locate new facilities on existing towers, and in order to achieve optimal results, it is best to build a new telecommunication tower in a suitable location in each area. These locations are 331 King George Road (north end area), 67 Sinclair Boulevard (east end area) and 148 Mohawk Street (south side area). Appendix A is an overview map showing these three locations. Bell has also obtained clearance from Navigation and Transport Canada for the proposed tower locations. 8.2 Land Use Analysis and Technical Review The proposed towers are 45m high, tri-pole steel towers with small enclosed compounds at the bases. The 331 King George Road tower (Appendix B) is within a General Commercial Zone, surrounded by a range of other commercial and open space uses, and buffered from the nearest (at least 120m away) residential uses by a wooded strip with substantial length and depth. The 67 Sinclair Boulevard tower (Appendix C) is within a General Industrial Zone surrounded by other industrial uses, and is 790m from the nearest residential uses. The 148 Mohawk Street tower (Appendix D) is within a General Industrial Zone, and is 400m from the nearest residential uses and 160m from the Woodland Cultural Centre building. The base compound of this tower is screened by existing vegetation along the property line. Given the above described distances and separations, the towers are considered to be compatible with the adjacent land uses, and have no impacts on the nearest residential uses. All three towers are located behind existing buildings and in the back of the lots with the base compounds buffered by existing buildings or vegetation, and therefore their visual impacts on the streets and surrounding areas are minimal. The locations of the towers are not adjacent to natural or human heritage features or natural hazard areas, and have no impact on these features or areas.
April 8, 2013 Page 5 Minor technical issues relating to site design of the towers have been resolved through the technical review process. In a separate process, Bell is required to and will apply for building permits from the City for the construction of the towers. In light of the above analysis, Planning staff is of the opinion that the proposed installation of three telecommunication towers has followed the federal and local procedures and met their site selection and design criteria, it will benefit the City of Brantford by providing much need telecommunication coverage in those underserviced areas without impacting the adjacent lands uses, and the technical design of the proposed sites is appropriate according to City standards. 9.0 FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS There are no direct financial implications to the City by the proposed developments. 10.0 CONCLUSION Staff is of the opinion that the proposed installation of three telecommunication towers proposed by BELL Mobility will improve telecommunication coverage in those underserviced areas in the City of Brantford, has followed Federal and City protocols, has no impact on adjacent land uses, has no objections from the public, and is supported by municipal staff through the review process. Yuli Siao, MCIP, RPP Senior Planner, Current Planning Community Services Lucy Hives, MCIP,RPP Manager, Current Planning Community Services Matt Reniers, MCIP, RPP Director of Planning Community Services Gregory Dworak, MCIP, RPP General Manager Community Services Attachs: Appendix "A" Over of Three Tower Locations Appendix "B" Aerial Photo/Photo Simulation 331 King George Road Tower Appendix "C" Aerial Photo/Photo Simulation 67 Sinclair Boulevard Tower Appendix "D" Aerial Photo/Photo Simulation 148 Mohawk Street Tower Appendix "E" Protocol Telecommunication Towers and/or Antennas In adopting this report, is a by-law or agreement required? If so, it should be referenced in the recommendation section. Bylaw required [ ] yes [ X] no Agreement(s) or other documents to be signed by Mayor and/or City Clerk [ ] yes [X ] no Is the necessary by-law or agreement being sent concurrently to Council? [ ] yes [ X ] no
April 8, 2013 Page 6 Overview of three tower locations APPENDIX A North End 331 King George Rd. East End 67 Sinclair Bvd. South side 148 Mohawk St.
April 8, 2013 Page 7 Aerial photo of 331 King George Road location APPENDIX B Tower location
April 8, 2013 Page 8 Photo simulation of 331 King George Road tower
April 8, 2013 Page 9 Aerial photo of 67 Sinclair Boulevard location APPENDIX C SINCLAIR BLVD Tower location
April 8, 2013 Page 10 Photo simulation of 67 Sinclair Boulevard tower
April 8, 2013 Page 11 Aerial photo of 148 Mohawk Street location APPENDIX D Tower location
April 8, 2013 Page 12 Photo simulation of 148 Mohawk Street tower View from Woodland Cultural Centre
April 8, 2013 Page 13 APPENDIX E
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