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PROPOSED RESOLUTION: Preliminary & Final Site Plan & Special Permit
Verizon Wireless- Ithaca College Batched PWSF Project
Ithaca College Campus & Circle Apartments
Tax Parcel No.’s 41.-1-30.2 & 43.-1-2.2
Planning Board, October 6, 2026
WHEREAS:
1. This action is consideration of Preliminary & Final Site Plan and Special Permit Approval for
the proposed Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems, LLC d/b/a Verizon Wireless Personal Wireless
Service Facility (PWSF) Project, located on the Ithaca College Campus at 953 Danby Road,
and the College Circle Apartments near the Community Center at 30 College Circle. The
proposal is a batched PWSF application that includes eight (8) PWSF telecommunication
facilities: one (1) macro PWSF array on the rooftop of Williams Hall, six (6) small cell PWSF
antennas on decorative poles throughout campus, and one (1) small cell PWSF on the roof of
Dillingham Hall. Ithaca College, Owner; Jared C. Lusk, Partner, Nixon Peabody, LLP,
Applicant/Agent;
2. This is an Unlisted Action for which the Town of Ithaca Planning Board, on October 6, 2026, in
an uncoordinated environmental review with respect to the proposal, made a negative
determination of environmental significance, after having reviewed and accepted as adequate a
completed Short Environmental Assessment Form Part 1, submitted and prepared by the
applicant, and Parts 2 and 3 prepared by staff,
3. The Planning Board, at a public hearing on October 6, 2026, has reviewed and accepted as
adequate application materials dated August 11, 2026, including Exhibits A-Z, along with eight
(8) drawing sets prepared by Costitch Engineering, titled as follows: “Bell Atlantic Mobile
Systems LLC d/b/a Verizon, Site Name: Ithaca College-Williams Hall Zoning Drawings,
Project ID: 17032353, Mdg Location ID: 50000921791,” with sheets GA001-GA002, CA 100-
101, CA 110-111, CA 200-201, CA 500-505, RF001, EA 500-507, most recently revised
6/29/2026; “Verizon Site Name: Ithaca College-02, Project: 4G, Project ID: 17032360, Mdg
Location ID: 50000921783, Latitude: 42.425342º (N), Longitude: -76.491169º (W), Pole No.:
New Decorative Pole Set,” with sheets Z1-Z11, most recently revised 08/05/2026; “Verizon
Site Name: Ithaca College-03, Project: 4G, Project ID: 17032361, Mdg Location ID:
50000921785, Latitude: 42.420922º (N), Longitude: -76.490636º (W), Pole No.: New Wood
Pole Set,” with sheets Z1-Z8, most recently revised 07/29/2026; “Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems
LLC d/b/a Verizon, Site Name: Ithaca College-04, Zoning Drawings, Project ID: 17032359,
Mdg Location ID: 50000921786,” with sheets GA001-GA002, CA 100-101, CA 110, CA 200-
201, CA 500-505, RF001, EA 500-506, most recently revised 6/29/2026; “Verizon Site Name:
Ithaca College-05, Project: 4G, Project ID: 17032354, Mdg Location ID: 50000921790,
Latitude: 42.419922º (N), Longitude: -76.494811º (W), Pole No.: New Decorative Pole Set,”
with sheets Z1-Z12, most recently revised 08/05/2026; “Verizon Site Name: Ithaca College-06,
Project: 4G, Project ID: 17032358, Mdg Location ID: 50000921784, Latitude: 42.417714º (N),
Longitude: -76.498022º (W), Pole No.: New Decorative Pole Set,” with sheets Z1-Z12, most
recently revised 08/05/2026; “Verizon Site Name: Ithaca College-07, Project: 4G, Project ID:
17032357, Mdg Location ID: 50000921777, Latitude: 42.411722º (N), Longitude: -76.500003º
(W), Pole No.: New Decorative Pole Set,” with sheets Z1-Z11, most recently revised
08/05/2026; “Verizon Site Name: Ithaca College-08, Project: 4G, Project ID: 17032356, Mdg
Location ID: 50000921779, Latitude: 42.418989º (N), Longitude: -76.496969º (W), Pole No.:
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New Decorative Pole Set,” with sheets Z1-Z120, most recently revised 08/05/2026; and other
plans and materials, and
4. Project plans, and related information, were duly delivered to the Tompkins County Planning
and Sustainability Department per New York State General Municipal Law §§239-l et seq., and
such Department responded in a September 25, 2026, letter from Katherine Borgella, Tompkins
County Commissioner of Planning, pursuant to §§239-l, -m, and -n of the New York State
General Municipal Law, determining that the proposed action will have no significant county-
wide or inter-community impact;
NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED:
1. That the Town of Ithaca Planning Board hereby grants Special Permit for the project, finding
that the Special Permit standards of Article XXIV Section 270-200, Subsections A – H, of
the Town of Ithaca Code, have been met, specifically that:
A. The project will be suitable for the property on which it is proposed, considering the
property’s size, location, and physical site characteristics.
• The property is approximately 588+/- acres in size. It is a college campus with dormitory
buildings, apartment buildings, utility poles, parking areas, bike paths, sidewalks, trails, and
natural areas. The proposed project will involve almost no grading and will not impact the
property size, location, or physical site characteristics.
B. The proposed structure design and site layout are compatible with the surrounding area.
• The site layout will not change. The proposed personal wireless facilities are designed to blend
in with the overall Ithaca College campus utility pole and building designs and are compatible
with all other utility poles/buildings on campus and at the Circle Apartments (owned and
managed by Ithaca College).
C. Operations in connection with the proposed use do not create any more noise, fumes,
vibration, illumination, or other potential nuisances than the operation of any permitted
use in the particular zone.
• There will be significantly less noise impact associated with the proposed facilities than most
permitted uses. The small-cell facilities on poles will not emit any noise, fumes, or vibration;
and will not be illuminated. The macro facility on the rooftop of Williams Hall will contain
equipment that is inside the building in a mechanical room, so any noise associated with the
equipment will not be heard outside the room. The proposed small-cell facility on the roof of
Dillingham hall will contain equipment near other mechanical rooftop equipment. It will emit
far less noise than the other rooftop equipment. Other than safety lights, there will be no
illumination of the proposed rooftop facilities. There will be no fumes, vibration, or other
nuisances.
D. Community infrastructure and services, such as police, fire and other protective
services, roadways, schools, and water and sewer facilities are currently, or will be, of
adequate capacity to accommodate the proposed use.
• There are no needed changes to existing infrastructure and services. All infrastructure to
accommodate the existing use is in place and is of adequate capacity.
E. The proposed use, structure design, and site layout will comply with all the provisions
of the Town Code and with the Town of Ithaca Comprehensive Plan.
• The use and structure designs comply with all provisions of Town Code. Some pole sitings
may require area variances by the Zoning Board of Appeals for being located less than 300ft
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from a dwelling unit (as defined by Town Code). The project is scheduled for the October 13,
2026, Zoning Board meeting.
F. The site layout, with proposed vehicular, bicycle and pedestrian access, traffic
circulation, and parking and loading facilities, is sufficient for the proposed use and is
safely designed for emergency vehicles.
• There is no parking, loading, bicycle, or pedestrian access required. The proposed facilities
are located on building rooftops or throughout campus. None are within or impeding parking
areas, sidewalks, or other pedestrian/bicycle access areas.
G. The project includes sufficient landscaping and/or other forms of buffering to protect
surrounding land uses. Existing vegetation is preserved to the extent possible.
• There will be no loss to existing trees and vegetation. Buffering and additional landscaping is
not recommended.
H. To the extent deemed relevant by the Planning Board, the proposed use or structure
complies with all the criteria applicable to site plan review set forth in Chapter 270,
Zoning.
2. That the Planning Board further finds that all the requirements of §270-219.R(1) have
been met, specifically:
(a) The proposed personal wireless service facility complies with all relevant federal statutory
and regulatory requirements, including all applicable Federal Communication Commission,
Federal Aviation Commission, National Environmental Policy Act, and National Historic
Preservation Act requirements.
➢ Application materials in Exhibits O, X, and Y show compliance with these laws.
(b) The applicable standards in Chapter 270 (Zoning), Article XXIV (Special Permits and
Special Approvals), § 270-200 (Considerations for approval) are met.
➢ See #1 above; and
(c) All of the following additional standards are met:
[1] Public utility status. Services provided by the proposed PWSFs are considered public
utility services, and the provider of such services is considered a public utility, in the State
of New York.
➢ Application materials in Exhibit I provide information supporting this finding.
[2] Need. The applicant has proven a compelling need to address any significant gaps in the
applicant's personal wireless services (the ability of wireless telephones to make and receive
voice calls to and from landlines that are connected to the national telephone network)
through the proposed facilities and not through any other solution, and the facility presents a
minimal intrusion on the community.
[a] To determine whether a gap is significant, the Planning Board shall consider, among
other things, dropped call and failure rates, whether a gap is relatively large or small in
geographic size, whether the number of the applicant's customers affected by the gap is
relatively small or large, whether or not the location of the gap is situated on a lightly or
heavily traveled road or in a sparsely or densely occupied area, and whether the
applicant's customers are affected for only a limited period of time. A significant gap
cannot be established simply because the applicant's personal wireless services operate on
a frequency which is not the frequency most desired by the applicant. An applicant's claim
of need for future capacity does not constitute evidence of a significant gap.
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[b] In making the finding of compelling need, the Planning Board shall consider the
evidence of a significant gap, the applicant's consideration of other sites and other means
of addressing the gaps, and the feasibility of addressing the gaps through the use of other
sites or other means.
➢ The following information shows a compelling need to address significant gaps in the applicant’s personal
wireless services through the proposed facilities and not through any other solution, and it shows the
facility presents a minimal intrusion on the community:
➢ Application materials show that the gap in coverage, including capacity issues, can be addressed with a
combination of macro and small cell facilities, with two proposed facilities collocated onto existing
structures. The remaining facilities will be on small poles dispersed throughout campus.
➢ Exhibit M provides propagation plots and analysis showing coverage gaps in the area to be served by
the proposed facilities, particularly within the mid-band range. Capacity gaps exist in all ranges.
Coverage and capacity gaps are expected to be remedied with the proposed facilities.
➢ Exhibit T contains call testing data, drive test data, and dropped call data. Call testing data included
indoor and outdoor call testing, with indoor testing performed via walk tests in 12 campus buildings.
Drive test data included a driving route within and around the Ithaca College campus area and the
College Circle Apartments. Dropped call data, with failed connections/attempts, is noted on sheet 29.
Exhibit T illustrates significant gaps in coverage, dropped calls, and weak signals in all tested buildings
and throughout test areas.
[3] Compliance with Chapter 270 (Zoning) and other Town Code requirements. Complies
with all requirements of this § 270-219, with all other requirements of this Chapter 270
(unless expressly superseded by this § 270-219), and all other applicable Ithaca Town Code
requirements.
➢ See #1 E above. The project may require area variances from the Zoning Board of Appeals. The Planning
Board does not have the authority to consider or grant area variances. The project will appear before the
Zoning Board for consideration of variances on October 13, 2026.
[4] Co-location on proposed towers. For non-SWFs, when construction of a tower is
proposed, such a tower is designed to accommodate future shared use by at least two other
PWSF providers.
➢ N/A. The proposal is for a collocation of a non-SWF onto an existing structure, collocation of a SWF onto
an existing structure, and installation of small wireless facilities (SWFs) on small poles. Exhibit P outlines
Verizon’s collocation policy.
[5] Aesthetic impacts. The proposed PWSF will not inflict a significant adverse aesthetic
impact upon properties that are located adjacent or in close proximity to the proposed site(s)
or upon any other properties situated in a manner that such properties might reasonably be
expected to sustain adverse aesthetic impacts.
➢ The proposed facilities are located outside of any views listed in the Tompkins County and Town of Ithaca
Scenic Resources Inventories. They will be located entirely within the Ithaca College campus (College
Circle Apartments are owned and managed by Ithaca College). There are no residences located in close
proximity to the proposal. There is no anticipated adverse aesthetic impact expected.
[6] Impacts upon real estate values. The proposed PWSFs will not inflict a significant adverse
impact upon the property values of properties that are located adjacent or in close proximity
to the proposed site(s).
➢ This finding is based on application materials in Exhibit V.
[7] Impact upon the character of the surrounding community. The proposed PWSFs will not
be incompatible with the use and character of properties located adjacent or in close
proximity to the proposed site(s), or with any other properties situated in a manner that the
PWSFs might reasonably be expected to be incompatible with such properties.
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➢ This finding is based on the information and analysis in the Short Environmental Assessment Form Parts 2
& 3, and per Special Permit findings in resolved clause #1 above.
[8] Mitigation. The applicant has mitigated the potential adverse impacts of the proposed
PWSFs to the greatest extent reasonably feasible through siting, location, and design.
➢ The eight PWSFs have been specifically located away from residences and public viewpoints. The
proposed antennas and associated equipment are as small as they can be to be as minimally intrusive as
possible. The small cell antennas on poles were specifically designed to blend in with the existing
decorative poles on campus; and, for the one wood pole, to blend in with the surrounding trees.
3. That the Town of Ithaca Planning Board hereby grants Preliminary & Final Site Plan
Approval for the Bell Atlantic Mobile Systems, LLC d/b/a Verizon Wireless Personal
Wireless Service Facility (PWSF) Project, located on the Ithaca College Campus at 953
Danby Road, and the College Circle Apartments near the Community Center at 30
College Circle, as described in Whereas #3 above, subject to the following conditions:
a. Receipt of any necessary variances from the Town of Ithaca Zoning Board of Appeals,
and
b. Approval of a Basic Erosion and Sedimentation Control Plan (Basic SWPPP) by the
Town of Ithaca Engineering Department, before issuance of any PWSF permits for the
small cell pole applications labeled “02,” “03,” “05,” “06,” “07,” and “08.”