City Releases Draft of New Cell Tower Ordinance

A draft of the new wireless telecommunications ordinance was recently posted on the city of Calabasas website and outlines stricter rules cellphone service providers would have to abide by if the legislation is adopted.

The draft is attached to a request for qualifications, which is solicitation for a neutral third party expert to review and revise the document. The deadline for applications is Aug. 12.

The Communications & Technology Commission is scheduled to review applications at its Aug. 31 meeting and make a recommendation to the

The draft ordinance, which was primarly authored by City Attorney Michael Colantuono, implements recommendations the council made earlier this year such as establishing setbacks between cellphone towers and schools.

Also, under the new regulations, wireless service providers would only be granted permits to build such facilities if they have "demonstrated by clear and convincing evidence that the facility is necessary to close a significant gap in the operator’s service coverage."

A is currently in effect on all wireless facility applications until a new ordinance is adopted.

The draft of the new wireless telecommunications ordinance is attached to this story.