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HomeMy WebLinkAboutDTS-08-110 - Consultation process for wireless telecommunications facilitiesREPORT Report To: Development & Technical Services Committee Date of Meeting: September 8, 2008 Submitted By: Jeff Willmer, Director of Development Prepared By: Sheryl Rice, Development Technician Ward(s~ Involved: All Date of Report: August 22, 2008 Report No.: DTS 08-110 Subject: CONSULTATION PROCESS FOR WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES RECOMMENDATION: 1. That the Supervisor of official for consultation City of Kitchener. BACKGROUND: Site Plan Development be appointed as the designated in regards to wireless telecommunication facilities in the The law firm of Thomson Rogers, representing Bell Mobility, Rogers Wireless and TELUS Mobility, has written to the City to advise that their clients are looking to improve their wireless service in the area within the next year. They are requesting that Council designate an official to meet with their clients in order to facilitate consultation. REPORT: Bell Mobility, Rogers Wireless and TELUS Mobility are inter-provincial wireless telecommunications companies and as such are exclusively regulated by the Federal government and do not require municipal permits to operate in the City. However the wireless companies wish to ensure that there has been disclosure of the Federal Regulatory System governing them and though they are not required to obtain Site Plan or Zoning By-law approval, they are committed to consultation with the City. Their letter, which is attached, notes principles that would be followed in the consultation process, such as: consulting the designated official prior to finalizing their plans, locating outside of residentially zoned lands where possible, voluntarily providing drawings and information for City review at a site plan level of detail, providing information packages to those agencies identified by the City for circulation. As this process involves the site plan procedure, a suitable official to designate in order to facilitate discussion would be Brian Page, the Supervisor of Site Plan Development. It is noted that in March 2005, Planning staff presented to Development and Technical Services Committee a "Communication Tower Policy, To Act as the Local Protocol Respecting Antenna Structures". This policy has not been adopted by Council, and Planning staff will work with the telecommunications companies to prepare a final document to be presented to Council at a future meeting. FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS: None. COMMUNICATIONS: n/a CONCLUSION: n/a Sheryl Rice, CPT Development Technician Jeff Willmer, MCIP, RPP Director of Planning /attachment - Letter from Thomson Rogers Brian Page, CET, OALA, CSLA Supervisor of Site Plan Development 2