Summary
This submittal to the Leelanau Planning Commission consists of a January 8, 2025 letter from Interim County Administrator Richard I. Lewis to Leelanau Township Zoning/Planning Administrator Steve Patmore, responding to issues raised in Patmore's December 9, 2024 Staff Review of the County's Special Land Use Permit application for the Kitchen Road Communications Tower in Leelanau Township. The letter addresses outstanding documentation and technical questions rather than reflecting a Planning Commission meeting discussion itself.
Infrastructure Projects
The document concerns the proposed Kitchen Road Communications Tower. Lewis's letter responds point by point to Patmore's review:
- Tower Map: An updated map (sourced from the FCC database) was attached, noting that the Lee Mann Rd tower was not constructed. Patmore's original review had flagged that the application's map omitted at least two towers (on Davis Road, owned by Leelanau County, and on Kovarik Road) and incorrectly stated only two towers exist in the township.
- Barbed Wire Fencing: A revised A-2 sheet was submitted removing barbed-wire notations. Lewis confirmed the County will not authorize or permit barbed wire on the project, per Section 18.3.A.5 of the Leelanau Township Zoning Ordinance. Patmore's review had noted barbed wire still appeared on sheets A-2, A-3, and A-4 despite the application text claiming it was removed, and requested a written memo documenting the change.
- Propagation Maps: Two maps were provided showing a 10-mile radius dBm signal strength for the Kitchen Road and Fire Station sites using 4G technology.
- Tower Appearance: The tower will be galvanized steel; the County suggested using the existing County-owned Omena Tower as a visual reference instead of a rendered picture.
- Kitchen Road Access: The County stated it has no plans to alter Kitchen Road's status. Winter access, if needed, remains the responsibility of the service provider, not the County Road Commission.
Cited standards include Tower Standards (Article 18), Co-location Standards (Article 18), and Special Land Use Standards (Section 12.4) of the Leelanau Township Zoning Ordinance. The application was previously discussed by the Leelanau Township Planning Commission on November 14, 2024, following a preliminary zoning review in September 2024.
Action Items
- Applicant/County to ensure a corrected township tower map (including Davis Road and Kovarik Road towers) is submitted, per Patmore's original request.
- Applicant to provide a written memo to the township formally documenting removal of barbed-wire fencing from plan sheets A-2, A-3, and A-4, as requested by Patmore before the November 14, 2024 meeting.
- Letter copied to the Leelanau County Board of Commissioners, Dr. Barbara Conley (Leelanau Township Supervisor), Matt Ansorge (County Emergency Management/911 Director), Jason Ball (Progressive AE), Patrick Machin (Machin Engineering), Brian Mitchell (Tower Site Property Owner), and Timothy Perrone (CST Municipal Law) for awareness/follow-up.