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Politics & Government

New 4G Antennas Coming to San Ramon

The Planning Commission at a Tuesday meeting gave AT&T the go ahead to place three new 4G antennas on Tareyton Avenue.

Planning Commissioners on Tuesday approved antenna upgrades to an electrical tower for AT&T to expand its 4G service.

Commissioner Dennis Viers recused himself from the vote because he lives 500 feet from the project site.

AT&T's plan is to add 4G coverage to the San Ramon Valley by adding three new antennas and related equipment to a PG&E tower on Tareyton Avenue.

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In addition to the three permanent antennas, AT&T will add six remote radio heads, six tower-mounted amplifiers, three equipment cabinets and a GPS antenna.

Only the three antennas will be visible, said Gordon Bell of Realcomm Associates, a representative of AT&T.

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One antenna will be added to the middle of the tower, at about 65 feet, while the remaining two will be placed at the top of the antenna, 127 feet in the air.

Some residents who live in neighborhoods near the construction brought up concerns over noise levels and whether or not the three new equipment cabinets would be a blight on the heavily landscaped road.

Bell explained that the noise levels of the new cabinets would be about 40 decibels – the same volume as an average household refrigerator turning on. That's well within the 60 decibels that the general plan allows at a distance of 100 feet.

As for the potential impact on the street’s aesthetics, Bell assured commissioners and residents that the new cabinets would be combined with existing structures and would be completely hidden by existing landscaping.

New landscaping funds were part of the discussion since the Planning Commission had set a precedent in 2002; Metro PCS installed similar equipment at the site and wireless companies seeking to add antennas there would have to contribute $25,000 or the equivalent toward new landscaping.

Planning Commission Chairman Harry Sachs said that the nominal donation might not be enough today because of inflation over the past decade.

Still, commissioners OK'd construction at the existing donation level on condition the city study inflation costs to get higher figures for future wireless carriers seeking to expand in San Ramon.

The Planning Commission also unanimously approved a five-year capital improvement plan.

The plan prioritizes 13 projects, including improvements to traffic, traffic signals, parks, landscaping, drainage, facilities, developer planning and more.

The Parks and Community Services Commission already approved the plan. So did the city’s Finance Committee, and the Transportation Advisory Committee.

Sachs said that staff members who worked on the project should be commended because they reworked the improvement plan so that it takes no money from the city’s general fund.

“Staff has identified other funding sources … to provide for this plan,” said Sachs. “These [are the] projects that really help improve our quality of life. Hats off to the whole staff for their hard work in a fiscal environment that doesn’t look like it’s going to change soon.”

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