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Commissioner Fox inquired if the posting notice must be at the McDonald's site or just <br />going up to the tower. Mr. Reeves replied that it was just going up on the tower. <br />Chair Blank said he was on the Planning Commission when the McDonald's site was <br />being put together, and they had all sorts of challenges as it is considered a high visual <br />impact site. He inquired what the impact might be if the cupola was not built and the <br />antennas were lowered by six feet. He noted that he understood there would be less <br />reception. <br />Mr. Reeves replied that T- Mobile initially wanted 11 feet but agreed to lower it to <br />nine feet. <br />Chair Blank inquired if T- Mobile will not put the antennas in if the Commission denies <br />the building of the cupola. Mr. Reeves replied that they would not put the antenna in at <br />that site, and there would simply be no coverage in that area. He noted that they have <br />already looked around for sites to get coverage for that residential area and found that <br />this site was the best for the antennas. <br />Chair Blank stated that the staff report indicates that two other locations were <br />considered for the wireless antennas but that the coverage would be less than <br />70 percent. He noted that neither sight would be able to carry the capacity that the <br />McDonald's site is capable of but that 70 percent is better than nothing. He inquired if <br />T- Mobile would simply let the south end go. <br />Mr. Reeves said this would be a decision to be made by T- Mobile, but if it is below that <br />coverage threshold, they would rather put their money somewhere else where the <br />coverage would be better. He noted that T- Mobile has tried all of its alternatives, and <br />this site is by far the best one for now and the future in that it eliminates the other towers <br />going into that area and having multiple sites to cover what this one would cover. <br />Chair Blank asked if Mr. Reeves if he works for T- Mobile, and Mr. Reeves said he is a <br />contractor. Mr. Reeves also stated that they would not have gone through this process <br />for two years if they thought they could go somewhere else and get it done in one year. <br />Commissioner O'Connor referred to the existing tower on the site and inquired if it <br />would house the Base Transceiver Station (BTS) cabinet. Mr. Reeves said yes. He <br />added that they did a structural test and determined that it would hold their equipment. <br />Commissioner O'Connor inquired if the antennas need to be a certain distance away <br />from the cabinets to prevent interference, and Mr. Reeves replied that it would not <br />necessarily be so horizontally, but possibly vertically. Commissioner O'Connor stated <br />that he felt the antennas would not fit within the existing tower and that even if the <br />Commission wanted it lowered, there would be interference from the cabinets <br />themselves. <br />EXCERPTS: PLANNING COMMISSION MINUTES, September 24, 2008 Page 5 of 10 <br />