AFL Telecommunications

Location:

The site would be located approximately 400' south of RDU Center Drive in the southeast corner of the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel site.

The Planning and Zoning Board unanimously recommended approval of the plan. The recommendation included allowing the eastern 70' setback to be reduced to a 50' setback.

Staff recommends approval of the plan. The recommendation includes:

• Reducing the eastern 100'' setback to a 50' setback. (The staff also supports the increase in tower height from a 120' tower to a 150' tower.)
• Granting a waiver of sidewalk installation along RDU Center Drive.

The staff supports the proposed 150' high tower height because the additional height would eliminate the need for another tower in the same general vicinity by providing for five co-locators.

The plans propose a 150' high telecommunication monopole tower to be located in the southeast corner of the Hilton Garden Inn Hotel site approximately 400' south of RDU Center Drive. The tower would be adjacent to the 100' Thoroughfare Corridor Buffer associated with Interstate Highway 40 and would be designed to support two additional users. The plans also propose a reduction of the required eastern 100' setback to a 50' setback. The property is zoned Planned Employment Center (PEC) and is inside Cary's town limits.

The Raleigh Durham Airport and the Federal Aviation Administration have approved the proposed tower location and a maximum tower height 150'.

Overlay District: Thoroughfare Corridor Buffer District

Town Limits: The property is inside Cary's town limits.

Land Use Compliance: The Land Use Plan designation for this property is commercial, which would allow communication towers as a permitted use.

Excluding the request to reduce the eastern 70' setback to a 50' setback, and grant a waiver of sidewalk installation along RDU Center Drive, the plans comply with all zoning requirements.

The southern 100’ Thoroughfare Corridor Buffer is naturally wooded with existing Pines and Hardwoods and would provide effective screening from Interstate Highway 40 for the majority of the height of the tower. The western and northern views of the tower would be limited by the Hotel location. Along the eastern side of the site, existing trees and the presence of a parking area screening hedge offer only partial screening of the tower installation. Therefore, the plans include additional evergreen screening along the eastern side of the tower enclosure to ensure adequate screening from off-site views.

Tower Height: 120’, (The tower is designed for co-location.

Tower color: Medium Gray

Area of enclosure: 1,300 sq. ft.

Sidewalk is required by Town Standards along the parcel frontage (the proposed tower site is part of the Hilton Garden Inn parcel). Sidewalk was not installed as part of the Hilton Garden Inn development because Town Standards did not require its installation at that time; Standards have since been revised. The applicant has requested a waiver from the sidewalk requirement due to the nature of their proposal. Staff feels that the installation of a cell tower does not warrant the sidewalk installation and therefore supports the waiver request. Town Council must approve the waiver request.

No connection to municipal water or sewer systems is proposed.

The project meets all stormwater requirements of the Town of Cary.

Adjoining property owners were notified during staff's initial review of this plan. Staff has received no inquiries regarding the proposed tower installation.