Title
Construction of a Replacement Communications Tower and Lease Amendment Agreement at the Ft. Clarke Substation Tower and Site (B)
Explanation
In 1995, the Commission issued a "Policy Regarding the Evaluation of Proposals to Locate Antennas and/or Other Communications Equipment on or Within City Facilities, Property, and/or Rights of Way". This policy was developed primarily as a result of the increasing requests from cellular telephone and personal communication services companies (carriers) to utilize excess space on GRU's water and communication towers for the placement of antennas. The joint use of strategically located towers will improve the overall communication services available in our community, reduce the need to build additional communication towers in the City and County, and provide an additional source of revenue for GRU. To date, the City has entered into more than 30 lease agreements with carriers for the location of their antennas and equipment on 9 communication towers and two water towers.
Currently, Verizon Wireless, GPD and GFR have antennas and communications equipment on the Ft. Clarke Substation Tower. VoiceStream is the second carrier to request the use of this site, and entered into a lease agreement on June 21, 2000 to lease space on the existing tower. However, the existing tower is a 190-foot lattice tower, of relatively light construction, with little remaining loading capacity. Engineering analysis has concluded that the tower is not structurally adequate to support the additional load and can not be cost effectively modified. Consequently, VoiceStream has been unable to locate their antennas and equipment on this tower. VoiceStream has offered to replace the existing tower with a stronger tower of the same height to provide for their own needs and to facilitate the needs of the City and other communication service providers seeking access.
GRU and VoiceStream have reached a tentative agreement on a Tower and Grou...
Click here for full text