PD Recommendation Report (PL-USE-2022-000006)

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of the telecommunications industry. In addition to traditional phone communication, the telecommunications industry now includes technologies such as wireless cellular, digital mobile phones, and the internet. During the last decade, wireless telecommunications has experienced a dramatic decrease in cost and a phenomenal increase in availability. Changes in technology and competition in the industry have made wireless communication more affordable to the general public. Advances in telecommunications are not without cost or concerns. One such concern is the construction and location of telecommunication towers. Telecommunication towers are the physical structures to which antennas are attached to facilitate wireless communication. Because of the need for a clear line-of-site, telecommunication towers are usually located in areas with minimum obstructions between the tower and its area of service. Line-of-site refers to the imaginary line between a mobile phone antenna and a telecommunication tower. If there are impediments between the mobile phone antenna and the telecommunication tower, there may be signal degradation or signal loss. For example, the loss of line-of-sight occurs when a person uses a mobile phone while driving through a tunnel. Most often, communication is lost or unclear. The line-of-sight requirement often necessitates the conspicuous location of many telecommunication towers. Consequently, the telecommunications tower is usually much taller than the surrounding structures or vegetation and may negatively impact the scenic nature of a given area. A standard in the Public Utilities element of the General Plan states that in the development and placement of telephone facilities, such as lines,telecommunications and cellular towers, poles, and substations, the design of the facilities shall consider the existing environment, and scenic view and vistas shall be considered and preserved where possible. To lessen any adverse visual impacts on surrounding properties, the proposed facility is set back approximately 58 feet from Donahue Road and approximately 330 feet from Hawai'i Belt Road. Additionally, the applicant is proposing to develop a stealth `monopine' tower which will be disguised as a pine tree to blend with the surrounding environment. There are no General Plan designated natural beauty sites or vistas located in the vicinity of the subject property. The applicant included a viewshed -4-