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~To~wn may extend antenna freeze .La Posada site not model, Town· attorney says By LESLIE SHAMES S\lff writerf.i . r N L I {I l 'f 7 Although the Town of Paradise Valley approved a· per- mit for a cellular phone antenna at La Posada Resort last month, a moratorium on new applica- tions will likely be extended, a Town official said. month moratorium imposed in August by 30 to 45 days. A meeting was held Dec. 20 between Town officials and seven to 10 cellular providers. The Town Council and Planning Commission will hold work- shops in January to develop the ordinance. The Town Council will not vote on an ordinance before February, Ms. Kennedy said. the AT&T permit," she said. "We're trying to do our best to mesh the interests of the home- owners with those of the providers." . The AT&T permit did not describe the site in .detail or list the reasons why it was needed because those were outlined in prior negotiations. The ordi- nance will likely require the applicant to provide a photo simulation of the site and a statement of need. The Town Council and staff still must consult with cellular providers and hammer out ordi- nance details regulating how permits are granted. Those details must comply with new federal standards, Town Attorney Jill Kennedy said. This may involve extending the six- AT&T Wireless Service's La Posada site, approved Dec. 5, is not a model for future permits but a work in progress, Ms. Kennedy said. The AT&T permit includes 16 stipulations. It requires the s,ite comply with all federal regula- tions and the phone company Photo by LESLIE SHAMES/Independent Newspaper: "The ordinance will probably be a little more restrictive than See ['] ANTENNA page 4 A recently approved cellular antenna site will by installed inside 'this tower at the La Posada Resort, 4949 E. Lincoln Drive. The Town of Paradise Valley is drafting an ordinance regulating permits for such sites. Ill ANTENNA continuedfrom page 1 fix any interference the facility may cause to area television or radio broadcasts. AT&T is responsible for any liabilities caused by the site. would be an expense not pro- portional to the .planned· throughout Paradise Valley." "Many of those won't work; many of the owners won't want to touch them; many won'thave appropriate height,:' . Ms. Kennedy said. . The permit also requires AT&T to allow other cellular providers to place antennas at the site. The industry term for this is co-location, and it is becoming common as new sites become difficult to find. changes. .· "The Town's legal and profes- sional determination was that the nature of improvement didn't relate to the right of way," Ms Kennedy said. Even with an ordinance in place, cellular providers wili not find many sites for antennas, Ms. Kennedy said. T_he antennas can go only on properties hold- ing special-use permits, mostly resorts, schools and places of "We're going to continu'e most likely to receive most cellular service from sites outside of the Town." •-The final permit requires no changes to the property unrelat- ed to the antenna. · worship. With only 40 permits in the Town, choices an~ limited. It took Town staff and AT&T officials nearly nine months to negotiate -the permit, the only one being processed when the moratorium was passed. One problem with negotia- tions was the Town expected AT&T and La Posada to make some property improvements, including installing meandering sidewalks along Lincoln Drive, AT&T spokeswoman Cindy Daly said. This would have required tearing out the resort's entire front entrance. The Town later agreed improvihg the right of way The La Posada antenna will be a "stealth" site, meaning it will not be visible. It will be installed on a tower's interior on one of the resort's buildings. A small equipment shack will be hidden inside a vacant office underneath the tower. The site should be in place by February, Ms. Daly said. AT&T is seeking two more sites in the Town but has not found any prospects. "The La Posada site . was the most important because most of the traffic goes through thart area," she said. "Additional si!Jp,t.· will help keep service canst~' • ~~C~AL~~\to~~ w~!.~.::~~~~~t! ~~~~!t!~~!~~th pu~ Police Department's communica- tion capabilities are being up- graded, a cooperative effort with Scottsdale's crime lab has been extended and participation in the regional task force fighting drug trafficking has been continued. The three actions taken recently by the Town Council will increase and enhance the department's crime-fighting abilities, Chief John Wintersteen said. New radio equipment will allow Paradise Valley officers to commu- nicate with six Valley agencies, adding the Maricopa County Sher- iffs Office, Chandler and Gilbert to -Scottsdale, Tempe and Glen-ing Scottsdale officers helped them dale. The new system will bring all capture the suspect. these these agencies into immedi-Paradise Valley police already ate contact when criminals cross have a contract to use Scottsdale's city and town boundaries. · crime lab, and technicians from that lab will continue to provide services and process evidence from town crime scenes. The pact, originally enacted in 1992, has been extended two years. In the fight against drug traf-J ficking, a Paradise Valley officef will remain with the U.S. Drug Enforcement • Administration's Metropolitan Task Force for an- other two years. Paradise Valley Such an incident occurred sev- eral weeks ago, when a homicide suspect from Phoenix was involved in a daylong pursuit from the west Valley. Officers from the Scotts- dale, Phoenix and Tempe police departments, as well as the De- partment of Public Service, were involved when the suspect entered Paradise Valley and was arrested by the town's officers. _has participated in t.he program Paradise Valley officers said the since 1992. Co'P.~iss~nJo(lks forappf~a·nth' ,,t The Town .of· Paradise ·valley' is accepting applications frorn residents wishing to serve em the Planning Commission. · The· commission is ina de up of seven members and Inakes: recommendations to the Town! Councii onmatters·ofproposed! subdivisions, lot splits, speciaF use permits and amendments, to the general plan, subdivi-1 sion and zoning ordinances, The commission meers twice monthly· at 7 p.m. on Tuesday. Members also are asked to attend.· one to two ._Town Council meetings annually and serve on the Town's Hillside Building and Special Use Permit Review committees on an as-needed rotating basis. For information, call Town Manager Jim Siket at 948-7411 before Jan. 17. Town Council takes action · t for PY no lice : ';f.v..x..;d. •r!.['17 . . PARADISE VAL EY ·-The Police Department's communica- tion capabilities are being up- graded, a cooperative effort with Scottsdale's crime lab has been extended and participation in the regional task force fighting drug trafficking has been continued. Tlie three actions taken recently . by the Town Council will increase :and· ·enhance the department's ·crime-fighting abilities, Chief John Wintersteen said. New radio equipment will allow Paradise Valley officers to commu- nicate with six Valley agencies, adding the Maricopa County Sher- iffs Office, Chandler and Gilbert to the ones they currently can talk to -Scottsdale, Tempe and Glen- dale. The new system will bring all these: these agencies into immedi- ate· ctmtact when criminals cross city and town boundaries:- Stich an incident occurred sev- eral weeks ago; when a homicide suspecffrom Phoenix was involved in a day long pursuit from the west Valley. Officers from the Scotts- dale, Phoenix and Tempe police departments, as well as the De- partment of Public Service, were involved when the suspect entered . Paradise Valley and was arrested . by t4~Jown'sofficers. · · J>arlJ,dise Valley officers said the -ability·to talk directly with purs- ing Scottsdale officers helped them capture the suspect. Paradise Valley police already have ·a ·contract to ·use Scottsdale's crime l~b,_ and technicians from that lab· .will continue to provide services and process evidence from town .. ::crime scenes. The pact, originally enacted in 1992, has been extended two years. In the -fight against drug traf- ficking,· a Paradise Valley officer will remain with the U.S. Drug Enfqrcement Administration's Metropolitan Task Force for an- other two years. Paradise Valley has participated: in the program . since 1992.