Real Estate Services Division

Policies - Wireless Communications on City Property

One means for the City to encourage siting of wireless facilities in a minimally disruptive manner is through encouragement of co-locating facilities on existing towers or buildings.  The City Council passed Resolution #29344 in 1996, allowing City facilities to be used for wireless communication facility siting under certain circumstances.   The resolution established three criteria for evaluating proposals for use of City property:

• Wireless facilities shall not unreasonably interfere with the intended City use of its real property or structures, including but not limited to City communication facilities.
• Such use of City real property must not violate any laws or other limitations on the use of the City property nor any limitations on the structure established for the protection of the neighboring community.
• Any City structure proposed for wireless siting shall have adequate physical capacity for the wireless facility.  The lessee may propose and install, at its own expense and only after City approval (by jurisdictional department), renovations to the city structure.

Wireless providers may contact the Fleets and Facilities Department or the City department with jurisdiction over the property of interest.  The jurisdictional department shall determine whether to proceed with lease or permit negotiations.  The department may give preliminary approval, enabling the proposer to apply for a Master Use Permit from DCLU, if required.    Departments may have separate policies addressing how wireless facilities are evaluated, e.g., the Department of Parks and Recreation has a set of policies for non-park use of City parks which also inhibits wireless communications facilities within City parks.

Contact Hillary Hamilton (206-684-0421).