TO: ARCHITECTURAL AND PRESERVATION COMMISSION
FROM: BRAD JOHNSON, COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
DATE: JUNE 11, 2025
SUBJECT:
Title
ARCHITECTURAL AND SITE PLAN REVIEW #25-A03, REVIEW OF PROPOSED 62-FOOT TALL FAUX EUCALYPTUS WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS FACILITY FOR AT&T LOCATED AT 1700 NORTH TOWNE AVENUE. APPLICANT - EUKON GROUP, LLC ON BEHALF OF AT&T.
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SUMMARY
The applicant has proposed a new 62-foot tall faux eucalyptus tree (monoeucalyptus) to serve as a wireless telecommunications facility for commercial use at the subject property on the east side of Towne Avenue, which is owned and occupied by Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church of Claremont. The tree is proposed to be located in an open grassy area to the east of the existing church building and to the west of the existing parking area. The proposed facility’s antennas reach a maximum height of 57 feet above grade, which is consistent with other recently approved wireless facilities in the City, and is a height that is necessary to adequately address the wireless service coverage gap that exists in the area. An additional five feet of height beyond 57 feet is proposed to provide faux eucalyptus branches and leaves above the antennas for concealment and to achieve a more realistic appearance. The site plan, elevation, and detail drawings are provided in Attachment B. Photo simulations showing existing and proposed conditions are provided in Attachment C.
RECOMMENDATION
Recommended Action
Staff recommends the Architectural and Preservation Commission:
A. Adopt A RESOLUTION OF THE ARCHITECTURAL AND PRESERVATION COMMISSION OF THE CITY OF CLAREMONT, CALIFORNIA APPROVING ARCHITECTURAL AND SITE PLAN REVIEW #25-A03, REVIEW OF PROPOSED 62-FOOT TALL FAUX EUCALYPTUS WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS FACILITY FOR AT&T LOCATED AT 1700 NORTH TOWNE AVENUE. APPLICANT - EUKON GROUP, LLC ON BEHALF OF AT&T ; and
B. Find this item is exempt from environmental review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA).
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ALTERNATIVES TO RECOMMENDATION
In addition to the staff recommendation, there are the following alternatives:
A. Continue the item for additional information or redesign of the proposal.
B. Approve the project with additional or revised Conditions of Approval.
C. Express the intent to deny the request, specifically identifying the design review criteria that cannot be met and continue the matter to the June 11, 2025 meeting for adoption of a denial resolution.
FINANCIAL REVIEW
The costs associated with this review have been borne by the applicant.
ANALYSIS
Background
The subject property is located on the east side of Towne Avenue between Cascade Place to the north and Syracuse Drive to the south. The large property has a total of 83,838-square feet (1.92 acres) and is owned and utilized by the Good Shepherd Evangelical Lutheran Church of Claremont. The property has a zoning designation of Residential Single Family (RS 10,000) and a corresponding General Plan Designation of Residential 6. Churches are permitted in the City’s residential zones with approval of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP). The property features multiple buildings that were first built in 1965 and include additions that were made in 1968, 1971, 1974 and 2001. The property also features large surface parking lots on the east, north and south sides of the property to serve the church.
The Access Village Apartments abut the subject property to the north. Single-family residences are located on the west side of Towne Avenue across from the property. The rear yards of single-family residential properties abut the subject property to the south and west.
The Claremont Municipal (CMC) requires that wireless telecommunications obtain architectural design review approval from the Architectural and Preservation Commission, pursuant to CMC Section 16.300 - Architectural Review, and land use approval pursuant to CMC Section 16.306 - Special Use and Development Permit (SUDP), a staff-level approval. Staff finds that the proposed monoeucalyptus is well-designed and effectively conceals the facility’s wireless equipment in a manner that will not detract from the use of the property nor the overall character of the neighborhood in which it is located. Staff finds that the proposed project satisfies all of the architectural design review criteria, and that all of the required SUDP findings can be met. Should the Architectural and Preservation Commission vote to approve the proposed design plans, staff intends to issue approval of the associated SUDP.
On April 24, 2024, the Architectural and Preservation Commission held a public hearing regarding Architectural and Site Plan Review #22-A14, a proposed 73-foot tall steeple tower to serve as a stealth wireless telecommunications facility. The Commission expressed their intent to deny the project on a 6-0 vote, stating that it did not meet the General review Criteria in Section 16.300.060 of the Claremont Municipal Code Section. Specifically, the Architectural and Preservation Commission found that the project did not meet the following criteria: General Plan Consistency (CMC 16.300.060.A.2), Compatibility of Form with Surrounding Development (CMC 16.300.060.A.3), Compatibility of Quality with Surrounding Development (CMC 16.300.060.A.4), and Health and Safety (CMC 16.300.060.A.12). On May 15, 2024, the Commission held a duly noticed meeting and adopted a denial resolution (Attachment D). In response to the denial, the applicant has resubmitted this new Architectural and Site Plan Review project.
Project Description
The applicant, Eukon Group, LLC, has proposed a new 62-foot tall monoeucalyptus to serve as a wireless telecommunications facility for AT&T. The monoeucalyptus would house 20 panel antennas, 12 Remote Radio Units (RRU) and four surge suppression systems, along with other associated equipment. The proposed facility would address an existing gap in cell phone (LTE) service that currently exists in an area roughly bounded by Foothill Boulevard to the south, the Foothill Freeway to the north, Mountain Avenue to the east and the Thompson Creek flood control channel to the west, based on wireless service propagation maps provided by the applicant. The monoeucalyptus is proposed to be located in an existing grassy area between the church building to the west and a surface parking lot to the east within a 706 square foot lease area. The proposed monoeucalytpus would be located over 75-feet away from the southern property line, over 60-feet away from the rear property line, over 150-feet away from the northern property line, and over 275-feet away from the front (Towne Avenue) property line.
Two arrays would be located on the monoeucalyptus. The first would be 42-feet above grade and would have four surge suppressors. The second would be located 53 feet above grade and would contain 20 panel antennas and 12 RRU’s. The top of the highest antenna would be 57 feet above grade. All antennas will be equipped with concealment socks that will emulate eucalyptus leaves and all antennas, surge suppressors, and hardware on the monoeucalyptus will be painted green to match the branches. The additional height beyond 57 feet is to provide faux eucalyptus branches and leaves above the antennas for concealment and to achieve a more realistic appearance.
The ground-mounted equipment would be located inside a ten-by-ten foot equipment area enclosed by an eight-foot tall block wall enclosure directly north of the monoeucalyptus. Pursuant to CMC 16.306.010.G., fences or walls greater than six feet in height, but less than eight feet in height, constructed on any part of the lot behind the front or street side setback line requires approval through an SUDP. In addition to the required SUDP findings for the approval of the facility itself, staff finds the proposed eight-foot enclosure wall height to meet the required SUDP findings. Low shrubs would be planted around the base of the ground equipment enclosure and monoeucalyptus to soften the appearance of the monoeucalyptus’s base. Additionally, two new five-gallon eucalyptus trees will be planted north and northwest of the proposed ground equipment.
Ground-mounted commercial wireless telecommunication facilities approved in the recent past in Claremont generally reach a maximum height of approximately 60 feet. Wireless service providers indicate that antennas must be located high above the ground in order to maximize the range of the signal the facility’s antennas emit. With the precedent set by other wireless facilities, Staff felt this design was appropriate and is compatible with the surrounding neighborhood context. Attachment B (Sheet A-1) calls out the height of trees in the vicinity of the subject site, showing several mature trees with heights in excess of 40 feet that can serve as a backdrop to the proposed monoeucalyptus.
Special Use and Development Permit Findings
As noted earlier in this report, new wireless telecommunication facilities are required to obtain architectural design review approval as well as approval of an SUDP. The five required findings for an SUDP are set forth in CMC Section 16.306.040. They require that staff find that the property is adequate in size and shape to accommodate the proposed development and that the streets that serve the property are adequate in size and shape to support the traffic generated by the proposed use. The remaining findings require that staff find that the project is compatible with surrounding land uses and will not negatively affect or be injurious to such uses. Additionally, they require that staff find that the project will not have impacts on the privacy of surrounding properties and that it will not have negative impacts in terms of public health and safety. Staff believes that the project meets all of the required SUDP findings. As noted in this report, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) sets standards for RF emissions generated by wireless telecommunication facilities. Federal law prohibits the City from establishing its own standards for RF emissions or for denying wireless facilities based on health concerns regarding a facility’s emissions. When a facility complies with FCC regulations, local governments are limited in the extent to which they can implement standards for the placement and construction on wireless services facilities on the basis of the environmental effects or perceived health effects of RF emissions. CMC Chapter 16.100 - Antennas and Wireless Communication Facilities includes both height and location standards for commercial wireless facilities that comply with Federal law. CMC Section 16.100.E.5 requires that ground-mounted wireless facilities be located more than 100 feet from any existing residential structure. The proposed monoeucalyptus is located no closer than 117’-4” to any residential structure (see Sheet A-1).
Basis for Recommendation
The proposed monoeucalyptus facility satisfies the intent of the CMC’s regulations for the architectural design of wireless telecommunications facilities in that it has been designed to have the smallest visual impact such a large structure can have. The proposed monoeucalyptus features a design that conceals the facility’s antennas and harmonizes with the development on the existing church site.
Staff also finds that all of the required SUDP findings can be made for the proposed project. Should the Architectural and Preservation Commission approve the design of the proposed wireless facility, staff will issue approval of the SUP request the following day and will send out notice of the SUDP and architectural design review approval to property owners within a 300-foot radius of the subject property as required by the CMC.
CEQA REVIEW
The proposed project is categorically exempt from the provisions of the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) pursuant to Section 15303(e) - Class 3 for new construction or conversion of small structures in that the project consists of the construction of a new structure that is accessory to an existing use at the subject property, one where all public services and utilities are available. Approval of the proposed project would not result in the removal of mature trees located at the property and would not result in an increase in traffic to and from the site. Further, the project would not result in impacts to biological or archeological resources, given the site’s location in a developed area.
PUBLIC NOTICE PROCESS
The agenda and staff report for this item have been posted on the City website and distributed to interested parties. If you desire a copy, please contact Pearl Juarez at pjuarez@claremontca.gov.
On May 15, 2025, a notice of this review was sent to property owners located within 300 feet of the project site and posted on the City website. Copies of this staff report have been sent to the applicant and other interested parties.
Submitted by: Prepared by:
Brad Johnson Daniel Kim
Community Development Director Assistant Planner
Reviewed by:
Chris Veirs
Principal Planner
Attachments:
A - Draft Resolution
B - Site Plan, Elevations, and Details
C - Photo Simulations
D - Resolution No. 2024-05