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<br />Management Intern Gladhill advised that the proposed antenna adheres to the required setbacks. <br />Mr. Gladhill stated Milestone Radio is also proposing to add a six (6) foot radius satellite dish on <br />the subject property. This proposed future dish is indicated on the proposed site plan. There are <br />no accessory structures proposed in conjunction with the antenna. All equipment will be <br />confined to the utility room of the existing office condo. Mr. Gladhill stated there were no <br />opposing comments received. Staff recommends approval of the Conditional Use Permit (CUP). <br /> <br />Citizen Input <br /> <br />Mr. Dennis Carpenter, Milestone Radio, stated Milestone Radio has six radio stations in <br />Minnesota and eight radio stations in Africa. The facility in Ramsey would house production <br />studios for four of their radio stations, along with production studios for their Africa stations. <br />The Africa stations provide unfiltered news and information, and teaching and language <br />programs. The Africa stations spend a lot of time educating men who have been taught by witch <br />doctors. In Milestone's market area in Africa, AIDS has dropped. Milestone Radio is a <br />Christian run organization. The BOB-FM network would be located out of this facility, which <br />would reach 3.2 million people in Minnesota. Mr. Carpenter explained it is very critical to have <br />a lattice style tower in order to get the programming from the studio to the transmitter sites. The <br />tower they have chosen is freestanding. It is only 3 feet wide at the base and narrows up 15 <br />inches at the top. The tower is see-through; it is galvanized and will not be painted. The tower is <br />crucial to their operation. <br /> <br />Chairperson Nixt inquired about the rationale in City Code for requiring a monopole tower. <br /> <br />Assistant Community Development Director Frolik replied monopole towers have been <br />determined to be more attractive than lattice, but there is latitude in City Code to approve any <br />other design other than monopole if warranted. The City Engineer has indicated that monopole <br />towers can be two feet or better in diameter. Cell towers generally are 160 feet high; this tower <br />will be 80 feet. <br /> <br />Chairperson Nixt verified that this will be a freestanding tower, rather than a guted tower, and he <br />thinks this is a reasonable request. <br /> <br />Mr. Carpenter stated another side to this is the satellite dish Milestone Radio is asking for in the <br />future on the property in order to uplink and get signals to Africa. They have submitted a request <br />for a 6 foot dish, which their engineer says is way beyond what it would likely be. The band <br />would be ground mounted on a pole, and they would landscape around it, except right in front of <br />it. <br /> <br />Motion by Chairperson Nixt, seconded by Commissioner Van Scoy, to close the public hearing. <br /> <br />Motion Carried. Voting Yes: Chairperson Nixt, Commissioners Van Scoy, Brauer, Hunt, <br />Levine, and Trites Rolle. Voting No: None. Absent: Commissioner Cleveland. <br /> <br />The public hearing was closed at 7:13 p.m. <br /> <br />Planning Commission/ July 11, 2007 <br />Page 3 of 21 <br />