Humboldt County planners did not approve or deny AT&T’s proposed McKinleyville wireless tower at their Sept. 3 meeting, instead continuing the hearing and asking for a more comparable comparison between the Lily Road site and a Letts Avenue alternative.
According to the meeting summary, the Planning Commission continued the item involving New Cingular Wireless PCS, LLC, doing business as AT&T Mobility, for an 89-foot wireless facility at 3384 Lily Road in the McKinleyville area. The summary says commissioners wanted more side-by-side material before taking final action, including better comparison of the proposed site and the alternate location at 3248 Letts Avenue.
The agenda described the project as a conditional-use permit, coastal development permit and special permit request for an 89-foot wireless telecommunications facility in the Coastal Zone. Staff materials cited in the summary said the project had received FAA clearance and qualified for a CEQA Class 3 exemption, but commissioners still said they wanted more comparable site information before moving ahead.
The meeting summary says commissioners also raised concerns about the project’s fit in a residential area and the amount of analysis provided on alternative sites, while staff and counsel reiterated limits on denying wireless facilities based on FCC-compliant health concerns. Public comment was largely opposed, with residents citing neighborhood character, visibility and property values and suggesting the Letts Avenue site or another nonresidential location as a better option.
The record available here does not include the exact vote tally or the next hearing date.
