Planning Commission to Hear Appeal of 80-Foot Cell Tower Approved Near Highway 41 — Photo: devra — CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Planning Commission to Hear Appeal of 80-Foot Cell Tower Approved Near Highway 41
The Fresno Planning Commission is set to hear an appeal of a city-approved cell tower project at 640 R Street, near the intersection of Mono Street and R Street where it meets State Route 41 in Council District 3.
The Planning and Development Department Director approved the project on February 24, 2022. Someone filed an appeal. The material does not state who filed it or why.
The proposal is for an 80-foot mono-pine telecommunications tower — a cell tower designed to look like a pine tree — plus ground equipment for wireless service.
City planning staff recommends the Planning Commission deny the appeal and uphold the director’s approval.
The Breakdown
- The project applicant is Tricia Knight of TEK Consulting.
- The property is 0.55 acres in downtown Fresno.
- The director approved the conditional use permit based on compliance with Fresno Municipal Code Section 15-5306.
- Staff determined the project is exempt from the California Environmental Quality Act under two categorical exemptions: Section 15303/Class 3 and Section 15332/Class 32.
- The stated purpose is to enhance wireless cellular service.
- The hearing is scheduled for April 20, 2022.
What This Means for You
The Planning Commission decides whether this tower gets built or the appeal succeeds.
The material does not state what the appellant’s objections are, so a voter has no way to know what’s actually at stake in the appeal or whether to attend the April 20 hearing.
What to Watch
The material does not identify the appellant or state their objections. It does not say whether nearby residents, businesses, or property owners were notified or given a chance to comment before the director approved it.
The city’s own planning staff is recommending the commission reject the appeal. That is the city defending the city’s own decision.
