Cellular Antennas and Rooftop Enclosure (CP14-0138)

2015128193

City of Santa Cruz

NOE - Notice of Exemption

12/14/2015

12/14/2015

Michael Ferry

City of Santa Cruz

Lead/Public Agency

809 Center Street, Room 206
Santa Cruz, CA 95060

(831) 420-5118

007-321-04

400 Beach Street

Categorical Exemption

15303

The project consists of a Coastal Permit, Design Permit, Historic Alteration Permit and Administrative Use Permit to install roof-mounted antennas within two radome enclosures on a historic building. T-Mobile proposes to construct a new wireless installation on the roof of the existing Coconut Grove/Casino Building at the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk to add a cell phone site and improve cell phone coverage and quality in the beach area and in the nearby Seabright neighborhood. Six new T-Mobile panel antennas and a microwave dish would be installed within two cylindrical structures referred to as radomes. Ancillary equipment and utility cabinets would be located on a new wood platform with an approximate 110 square foot area located on the existing building on a lower roof level. New fiber cable will be installed from the proposed equipment cabinets to the proposed antennas via a new rooftop cable tray. No ground disturbance is proposed. CEQA provides "categorical exemptions" which are applicable to categories of projects and activities that the natural resource agency has determined generally do not pose a risk of significant impacts on the environment. The Class 3 categorical exemption is for "New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures". This exemption includes "construction and location of limited numbers of mew, small facilities or structures". This exemption includes "construction and location of limited numbers of new, small facilities or structures". The project consists of installation of cellular antennas on the rooftop of an existing building. Two cylindrical radomes approximately five feet in diameter (four feet, nine inches) would be installed on an existing roof to house wireless communications antennas. One radome would be six feet tall and the other eight feet tall. An existing six foot tall structure is located on the same roof and encloses cellular antenna operated by a different company. The new radomes, antennas and associated utility cabinet facilities would cover a total of approximately 200 square feet in three locations. Thus, the facilities are small structures, and the radomes are limited to two. Therefore, the project meets the standard of "limited numbers of new small facilities" that tis described in the exemption. Furthermore, the area of the proposed facilities is substantially less than examples provided in the CEQA guidelines, which include three single-family structures, a multi-family structure with six units, and 10,000 square feet of commercial area in urbanized areas, as well as accessory structures, including garage and patios.