10-08-1990 Council Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

ORONO REGULAR COUNCIL MEETING HELD OCTOBER 8, 1990 ZONING FILE #1588 - US WEST NEW VECTOR GROUP CONTINUED An objection was raised to having a tower in this neighborhodd when it services someone driving by and not this neighborhood. Mr. Hellerman explained that this is to build out a system. Cellular One and US West systems are not interchangeable. They look for areas that will have the least impact possible but it is not always possible to locate in commercial areas. Cells are currently being located as little as .6 mile apart. They try to "hide" the cells as much as possible. Churches and schools are not residential per se but may exist in residential areas and may provide a spot for the system. They do need to exist within a grid or framework and these spots help in residential areas. Goetten asked, "Would you step back if you feel you are creating difficulty for the community ?" . Hellerman answered, "If you will help us to find a site that meets the engineering criteria that we have to deal with and recognizing that we have a site in Wayzata. We'll have another site in Long Lake. We'll have another site south and a site in Medina. We've got sites around here. We can't move the site a mile to the east or west or north because it interferes with other sites. As the system continues to grow out, we'll continually need to get more and more sites. Hopefully, we will be able to locate some of those sites in commercial industial • areas. Right now the need is in the particular area we are looking at." The search area is a relatively large area but the available properties are a small number. Peterson asked why this tower could not be placed somewhere in close proximity to the Wayzata tower even though not on the same site. Hellerman answered that at some point they will have to be in Orono and surrounding areas. Cellular One will be looking for similar sites. Callahan referred to the move to widen Highway 12 into #394 and decide on corridors. No matter where these corridors run, the starting point would be at the base of the proposed tower. His feeling is that there should be a moratorium on any kind of development on all land involved in this area until it is determined where the highway will go and the corridor selected. He suggests that the placement of the tower may not be in the best location regarding this. Acting Mayor Callahan suggests, in view of the fact of the possible expansion of US West and Cellular One and that the zoning code is not organized in dealing with tower, that an interim moratorium be placed in effect on the granting of • building permits, land subdivisions, rezoning applications, -and other things relating to the siting of wireless telecommunication 27