The Community Development Board acting as the Planning Commission held a public hearing on June 1st to consider the city's first comprehensive rewrite of its wireless facilities code in nearly 30 years. Jennifer Guttari from the City Attorney's Office presented amendments to Division 38.330 on wireless facilities, Section 38.710.160 on telecommunications submittal materials, and Division 38.800 on definitions. The city hired a specialized telecommunications consultant beginning in March 2025 to ensure revisions comply with federal law, which Guttari noted governs most wireless regulation. "Federal law mandates most of what we can do," she told the board. "So we are fairly limited in how we can regulate."
The proposed amendments introduce three key elements mandated by federal requirements. New Section 38.330.050 establishes application review timelines, called "shot clocks" by industry, for three facility types: eligible facilities requests, small wireless facilities, and large wireless facilities. New Section 38.330.060 identifies exempt wireless facilities, including certain government-owned structures and temporary facilities during emergencies. Section 38.710.160 revises submittal materials requirements, replacing line drawings with photographs and reorganizing categories to align with federal standards.
Board members raised questions about removing aesthetic language from the existing code. Community Development Staff Chris Saunders explained the revision replaced subjective language with objective standards, noting practical challenges with landscaping requirements that lack irrigation. The board approved an amendment emphasizing that equipment compound materials must be "architectural materials of an appearance common in the immediate area" rather than simply materials common to the area. The full ordinance recommendation passed 6-0 with no public comment received.