Planning Commission to look at cell towers

If approved, carriers to construct two structures in Newhall, Canyon Country

Santa Clarita is set to look at two new cell service towers next week— one in Newhall and one in Canyon Country, during a Planning Commission meeting on April 3.

In late February, city staff recommended issuing conditional use permits to cellphone service providers Verizon Wireless and AT&T Mobility, respectively, to build towers. The carriers are constructing the towers to bridge coverage gaps in their wireless infrastructures, according to senior city planner Patrick Leclair.

Currently, no other providers have filed requests to build towers, Leclair said. The current carriers submitted their requests last fall.

The Verizon tower on Friendly Valley Parkway, if approved, would be located on the southern portion of the Sanctuary Church property, at 26460 Friendly Valley Parkway in the Neighborhood Commercial (CN) zone. The structure would be 360 square feet and 47 feet tall. The facility would include 12 panel antennas, 18 remote radio units, one GPS antenna, one stand-by generator and two equipment cabinets.

The AT&T tower on Soledad Canyon Road, if approved, would be located in the Canyon Country community. Plans are to construct a 12-foot wide

by 12-foot long and 42-foot tall clock tower that will have 12 antennas. The tower will be located along the southern side of the property. An equipment and trash enclosure to the west of the parking lot housing eight associated equipment cabinets will also be constructed.

The AT&T project won’t interfere with existing parking space in the Canyon Country area, according to the Planning Commission agenda. The AT&T tower was originally slated to be built in Canyon Country Park, but Soledad Canyon Road was chosen as an alternative location for visibility and to reduce impact to the existing trees and irrigation system.

The city has received seven letters of complaints from residents regarding electromagnetic field-related health risks from the Verizon cell tower, according to city documents.

In Santa Clarita, an estimated 65 to 70 wireless communications facilities have been built by cellular companies operating in the valley, according to a previous Signal interview with senior planner James Chow. The number is only an estimate due to a number of factors including towers being turned off or decommissioned.