THE BIGLIERI GROUP LTD.

Transcription

1 March 16 th, 2016 RE: Consultation on Proposed Communications Tower 1024 Roseville Road, Township of North Dumfries TBG Project No Dear Sir/Madam, I am writing to you as the planning representative of SBA Canada, ULC. SBA is Canada s focused and independent wireless infrastructure company. SBA provides antenna space on towers and other structures for Canada s wireless sector. Wireless services, such as mobile phones and broadcasting, are increasingly consumed by and important to Canadians. To support the growing demand for service, and the introduction of new technologies and operators, there is a need for regular improvement and modifications to wireless network infrastructure, which includes the addition of towers to support antennas and related equipment. In order to allow for improved and additional wireless service in your community, SBA Canada will be applying to construct a communications tower to support the requirements of mobile service providers. Please be advised that SBA actively promotes the shared use of our towers and antenna sites for all potential users. In doing so, SBA works to minimize unnecessary towers, and assist in providing state of the art, quality wireless services. The purpose of this letter is to provide you with information on the details of SBA s proposed facility, and to provide you with additional information regarding the revised location proposed. This letter includes information on the original proposed location in comparison to the new proposed location with corresponding site plan and design of the proposed facility. We are seeking your input on SBA Canada s revised proposal, and appreciate your time and attention in considering this information. If you have any questions or comments please direct them to my attention, at the address indicated below and we will be certain to respond promptly to you. The deadline for questions and comments is April 19 th, We will be hosting a Community Information Meeting/Drop-In Session in the Dumfries Room of the North Dumfries Community Complex (2958 Greenfield Road, Ayr) on Tuesday, April 19th from 6:00 pm 8:00 pm. This Community Information Meeting/Drop-In Session is intended to inform residents of the revised location of the proposed tower as well as to solicit further comments and address any concerns raised. This Proposal will also be reviewed at a Public Meeting in the Council Chambers of the North Dumfries Community Complex (2958 Greenfield Rd., Ayr) on Tuesday, April 25 th at 7 pm. Yours truly, THE BIGLIERI GROUP LTD. Melinda Holland, M.Pl. Planner Cc: David Scott, Township of North Dumfries Marie-Louise Frechette, SBA Canada (via ) Industry Canada Central and Western Ontario District Office

2 Supplementary Information Public Consultation: 1024 Roseville Road, Township of North Dumfries, Ontario 1. Introduction Wireless services, such as mobile phones and broadcasting, are increasingly consumed by and important to Canadians. The services are used daily by consumers, businesses, police, firefighter and ambulance services, as well as government, air navigation systems and national defence. For wireless to work effectively and meet demand, antenna systems composed of towers and rooftop sites are required to deliver services to a given coverage area. Industry Canada, the federal government department which regulates the deployment of antenna systems, including towers, encourages the building of multi-tenant towers and antenna site sharing (co-location). SBA Canada s business is built on sharing. As Canada s focused and independent tower company, SBA operates over 400 towers and managed sites across Canada. These are promoted and offered to all radio network users, including mobile phone operators, broadcasters, police services, utilities and municipalities. SBA is committed to bringing customers the very best in tower and antenna site services. SBA operates in accordance with all applicable policies; they work hard to maintain effective community liaisons, and are committed to be closely involved with all stakeholders moving forward. 2. Purpose of SBA s Proposal There is ever-growing consumer demand for wireless products in Canada. Additional mobile operators are bringing attractive new choices for consumers, and new technologies allow for a richer, high speed wireless experience (indeed, we are all witnessing the rapid advances in mobile data allowed by smart phones ). To support these new and improved services, additional antenna sites and communications facilities are often necessary at specific geographical locations. SBA Canada is continually seeking to augment their portfolio in order to provide quality antenna site services to wireless operators, who in turn can introduce or improve their network capabilities for the benefit of a community s residents and businesses. SBA Canada has identified the area surrounding West Cambridge (specifically the area dividing North Dumfries and Cambridge) as an area in need of new wireless infrastructure in order to support the requirements for improved service and additional mobile service providers. SBA Canada has worked to identify an acceptable tower location that will provide improved wireless coverage and co-location capabilities. To that end, the purpose of this document is to provide further information about SBA Canada s proposed communications tower, the technical details of the proposal, and SBA Canada s efforts to find an appropriate location near West Cambridge. The proposed location along the west property line of 1024 Roseville Road remains the ideal site location to achieve the strong continuous network required. 2

3 3. Proposed Tower and Location In SBA s search for antenna system solutions in the local community, the suitability of existing infrastructure (other towers, rooftops, and taller structures) was reviewed in detail. For the wireless demands and coverage needs of the area of West Cambridge, it was determined that other infrastructure was either not available or could not be used. After extensive investigation to deploy a successful network in West Cambridge, SBA determined that 1024 Roseville Road represented the most preferred location for the new communication tower (Figure 1). SBA Canada is a provider of towers built with the capacity for more than one tenant (co-location). Therefore, a new tower at a height of 52 metres (170 feet) is necessary in order to allow for co-location and to provide stronger signal strength to mobile customers. The proposed communication facility will allow for future sharing opportunities with various telecommunication providers. The new communication tower will allow for the co-location of up to four (4) telecommunication providers (including the anchor tenant, WIND Mobile). The construction of a telecommunication facility that permits co-location will eliminate the need for additional communication towers within the surrounding area. The proposed communication tower is located approximately 290 metres (951 feet) from the nearest residential dwelling (see Figure 2). SBA Canada has made every effort to locate the proposed tower as far away from existing residential dwellings as possible while ensuring that the tower location will provide cellular customers with continuous coverage. The proposed tower is a monopole tower with a compound to house the necessary equipment. Photo simulations of the proposed telecommunication tower superimposed on the site can be located in Figures 3-5 which have been prepared by Tower Engineering Professionals Inc. The proposed tower will not hinder the current use on the site. Landscaping will be placed along the perimeter of the compound and the natural vegetation surrounding the site will be left intact, to further minimize any visual impact. The monopole tower is a vertical tubular shape, similar to a flag pole in profile, and appearance. The slim tubular design of the proposed tower minimizes visual impact and is compatible with the context of the surrounding area. The monopole tower and compound will be surrounded by secure chain link fencing to maintain security, only allowing authorized personnel to enter the communication facility. The proposed communication tower will be located northeast of the intersection of Roseville Road and 1 Township Road. The proposed location along the west property line, on a 10-metre by 10-metre leased parcel (see Figure 6). The subject site is currently zoned for agricultural use, and is actively farmed. Access to the leased parcel will be through a 6.0 metre wide access and utility easement from Roseville Road (Figure 6). Within the leased parcel will be the required utility structures as well as the tower itself. The utility structures canopy is typically 3.0 metres high. 4. Chronology A pre-consultation meeting was held with Town staff on February 26th, At this the time proposed tower was a metre monopole structure. It was situated on a 225 metre squared compound with a 6m utility and access easement from Roseville Road. The proposed location was less than 10m from Provincially Significant Barrie s Lake Bauman Creek Wetland Complex. Under the Cambridge West Master Environmental Servicing Plan (MESP) this area is recommended to have a 50 metre buffer. After 3

4 consultation with the Grand River Conservation Authority and Town staff we had relocated the proposed tower outside of this 50m buffer area. The proposed tower was revised and proposed to be a 52 metre tall monopole telecommunication tower. The tower will be slim in profile and allow for co-location of up to 4 carriers, reducing the need for future towers in the surrounding area. The tower was proposed to be setback from the road by 61 metre (+/-) and over 154 metre (+/-) from the closest residential dwelling. Access will be through a 6 metre wide utility and access easement that will terminate at the 100 metre squared compound, which will remain fenced and secure at all times. An anchor tenant has been secured and additional carriers have come forward with an expressed interest in locating on this tower. On August 18th, 2015 a Community Information Session was held at 6:00pm in the North Dumfries Community Complex, in Ayr, with respect to the proposed Communication Tower at 1024 Roseville Road. A summary of the events of the Community Information Session was previously provided to the Township of North Dumfries on September 1st. A Township of North Dumfries council meeting was held on September 14th from 6:00-8:00 p.m. This meeting concluded with a motion for council to solicit public input concerning the proposed 52 metre telecommunication tower at 1024 Roseville Road, and that all public and agency comments be referred to Staff for inclusion in a future report regarding the disposition of the matter. The public commenting period concluded on December 3rd, This commenting period followed the protocol of the Township of North Dumfries to provide 30 days for comments, 60 days for responses, and 21 days for follow up questions and comments to be addressed. Through the public consultation process, SBA Canada has addressed the concerns of residents and staff through the coordination of a revised location for the proposed telecommunication tower. This revision aimed to fulfill the requirement of the Township protocol stating that siting should occur 120 metres away from Natural Heritage System Features and other sensitive land uses. The next The revised application proposed the same tower design, a monopole tower to be 52 metres in height. The tower is proposed to be setback approximately 150 metres from the road and approximately 290 metres from the nearest residential dwelling. Access will be through a 6 metre wide utility and access easement that will terminate at the 100 metre squared compound. This revised location has been reviewed with the Township of North Dumfries, and the Township has provided preliminary approval that the proposed location is now outside of the recommended 120 metre setback distance from Provincially Significant Wetland. 5. Attestation as to Quality SBA attests that the proposed tower structure will be designed to CSA specification S37-01, Antennas, Towers & Antenna Support Structures and shall be fabricated & erected by Canadian companies that adhere to CSA fabrication and safety standards. 6. Compliance with Health Canada s Safety Code 6 SBA attests that the wireless communications facility described in this information package will be installed and operated on an ongoing basis so as to comply with Health Canada s Safety Code 6, as may 4

5 be amended from time to time, for the protection of the general public including any combined effects of nearby installations within the local radio environment. 7. Transport Canada and NAV Canada NAV Canada and Transport Canada are the federal agencies responsible for determining the impact of tall structures on air navigation systems. These federal agencies also determine whether any marking/lighting requirements are necessary to proposed structures. The proposed communication tower will meet all necessary aeronautical obstruction marking requirements, including painting and lighting, as instructed by Transport Canada and NAV Canada, per standard TP-382/CAR All necessary applications are being submitted to Transport Canada and NAV Canada on behalf of SBA Canada. 8. Canadian Environmental Assessment Act The Canadian Environmental Assessment Act ensures that the installation and modification of antenna systems is done in a manner that complies with appropriate environmental legislation. SBA attests that the radio antenna system described in this notification package is excluded from environmental assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. 9. Additional Resources and Information If you are interested in learning more, general information relating to antenna systems is available on Industry Canada s Spectrum Management and Telecommunications website ( 5

6 10. Key Contacts SBA Canada, ULC (Applicant): Marie-Louise Frechette Property Specialist, Site Development SBA Canada Suite 100, 468 St. Jean Street Montréal, Québec H2Y 2S1 mfrechette@sbasite.com Tel: ext Fax: Health Canada Consumer and Clinical Radiation Protection Bureau CCRPB-PCRPCC@hc-sc.gc.ca Tel: Website: Planning Consultant: Melinda Holland, M.Pl. Planner The Biglieri Group Ltd. 20 Leslie St, Suite 121 Toronto, Ontario M4M 3L4 mholland@thebiglierigroup.com Tel: Fax: Local Land-use Authority Township of North Dumfries David Scott Planner Township of North Dumfries 2958 Greenfield Road Ayr, Ontario N1R 5S5 dscott@northdumfries.ca Tel: ext. 124 Local Industry Canada Office: Central and Western Ontario District Office 4475 North Service Road, Suite 100 Burlington, Ontario L7L 4X7 spectrum.cwod@ic.gc.ca Tel: Fax:

7 11. Closing Date for Submission of Written Public Comments If you have any questions or wish to submit comments in writing with respect to SBA s proposed communications tower, please direct them to the attention of Melinda Holland, Planner, The Biglieri Group Ltd., on behalf of SBA Canada, ULC, at the address indicated above by April 19 th, We will be certain to respond promptly to you. This commenting period will follow the protocol of the Township of North Dumfries to provide 30 days for comments, 60 days for responses, and 21 days for follow up questions and comments to be addressed. We greatly appreciate your time and attention in reviewing this information package. 7

8 Figure 1- Site Location map Proposed Tower Location Figure 2- Nearest Residential Dwelling Approx. 290 m 8

9 Figure 3 Photo of Site with Monopole Tower Superimposed (Facing north from Roseville Road) Figure 4 Photo of Site with Monopole Tower Superimposed (Facing northwest from Roseville Road) 9

10 Figure 5 Photo of Site with Monopole Tower Superimposed (Facing east from 1 Township Rd) 10