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Conditional Use Permit No. 2001-13 <br />January 22, 2007 <br />Page 2 <br />The proposed wireless facility will include two sets of panel antennas <br />with tower-mounted amplifiers. It will also include coaxial cable located <br />inside the tower structure, all of which will be camouflaged as a Canary <br />Island Pine Tree. The monopine and equipment cabinets will be enclosed by <br />an eight-foot high block wall that will be an extension of the existing <br />wall. The enclosure will be screened on the north, east and west sides <br />with shrubs and vines. The two existing Canary Island Pines (Pinus <br />canariensis) will be relocated to the north of the leased monopine area <br />(Exhibit 5). The leased site is adjacent to a parking lot to the south <br />and is visible to the SR-55 Freeway to the east. The existing monopine <br />wireless facility will be replaced with a monopine based on the latest <br />technology for camouflaging wireless facility antennas and will be <br />engineered to accommodate the second carrier. The upgrade to the wireless <br />facility is a condition for the renewal of the site for Global Signal <br />Acquisitions II, LLC (Sprint PCS is the current service provider) and the <br />colocation of Metro PCS as the second wireless carrier (Exhibits 6 and 7). <br />The site will operate with a temporary cell on wheels (COW) for 20 days <br />during the replacement of the old structure with the new structure. <br />Analysis of the Issues <br />In July 1998, the Planning Commission and City Council adopted an <br />ordinance that regulates Wireless Communication Facilities throughout the <br />City. Major wireless facilities are required to have a stealth design and <br />be located on a building or in an area that provides the greatest amount <br />of visual screening and requires the approval of a conditional use permit. <br />The proposed wireless facility will be located within an enclosed leased <br />area, with the equipment cabinets screened by solid walls and new <br />landscaping. Adequate screening is provided for the wireless facility by <br />camouflaging it in the form of a Canary Island Pine tree. The new <br />monopine will be designed to provide colocation for the second wireless <br />carrier, Metro PCS. <br />The applicant has explored alternatives to the monopine structure, such as <br />locating the cellular antenna on the roof of an existing building in the <br />area. Structures in the area, however, are not tall enough to meet the <br />coverage needs for Sprint PCS and Metro PCS. A 60-foot tall facility is <br />needed in order to improve cellular coverage and increase call capacity <br />and quality. The proposed cellular antenna will provide a benefit to <br />Santa Ana residents, businesses and motorists who subscribe to both <br />wireless carriers by closing service gaps in the area and providing <br />31 A-3 <br />