Opinion ID: 163795
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 3

Heading: U.S. Cellular's Permit Applications

Text: 17 On February 21, 2001, U.S. Cellular filed two applications for specific use permits with the Planning Commission, seeking to construct the following: (1) a 120-foot monopole cellular transmission tower on a tract of land located at 10525 South 193rd East Avenue in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (the East Avenue property) (SP-149); and (2) a 240-foot, self-supporting cellular transmission tower on a ten-acre tract of land owned by the Forest Ridge Baptist Church, located at 8300 South Oneta Road in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma (the South Oneta Road property) (SP-150). 18 In addition to SP-149 and SP-150, U.S. Cellular had filed numerous other permit applications with the City to construct cellular towers. For example, on June 18, 2001, the City Council approved U.S. Cellular's application to construct a 100-foot monopole tower on the west side of Queens Circle. In fact, according to Doyle Groat, a U.S. Cellular engineer, as of July 16, 2001, U.S. Cellular had completed eight projects within the City. At least three of these projects involved new tower construction; the remaining five apparently involved co-location.
19 In its first application, SP-149, U.S. Cellular proposed to construct a 120-foot monopole tower on the East Avenue property, a six-acre tract the City annexed on September 18, 2000. The City assigned the East Avenue property the zoning classification AR-1, a transitional-zoning category denoting single-family residential use; at the time of U.S. Cellular's application, however, there were no residences on the property. 4 The land surrounding the East Avenue property was zoned as follows: to the north, AR-1, single-family residential; to the south, A-1, agricultural with one single-family residence; to the east, AR-1, single-family residential; and to the west, AG, agricultural. 20 As part of their application, U.S. Cellular submitted two maps prepared by radio frequency engineers. The first map showed U.S. Cellular's existing coverage within the City. The second illustrated the additional coverage U.S. Cellular would be able to provide following the completion of the proposed SP-149 tower. U.S. Cellular also attached the affidavit of Keith Sach, an Associate Radio Frequency Engineer with U.S. Cellular. In his affidavit, Mr. Sach stated, inter alia, that [t]here are no existing towers or permits for towers located within [one-half] mile of the [SP-149] site. Sach Affid. ¶ 3. Finally, U.S. Cellular's application also stated that [n]o existing tower can accommodate the proposed antenna. In support of this statement, U.S. Cellular referred to the attached coverage maps and Mr. Sach's affidavit.
21 In its SP-150 application, U.S. Cellular proposed to construct a 240-foot tower on the South Oneta Road property, a ten-acre tract of land in the southeast part of the City owned by the Forest Ridge Baptist Church. At the time of U.S. Cellular's application, the South Oneta Road property was zoned AA-1, a transitional-zoning category indicating agricultural use. Although on February 19, 2001, the City Council approved a change in zoning for the South Oneta Road property, pursuant to which the property would be zoned A-1, a conventional-zoning category indicating agricultural use, the City Council had conditioned its approval on the site being platted. At the time of the events in question, the Forest Ridge Baptist Church had not yet platted the South Oneta Road property. 5 The land bordering the South Oneta Road property was zoned as follows: to the north and west, R-1, single-family residential; to the east, undeveloped with one single-family residence; and to the south, A-1, agricultural, with one single-family residence.