The Planning and Zoning Commission voted July 23 to recommend the Town Council approve special use permits for some communications equipment in Fountain Hills.

All of the requests included proposals for the use of “stealth” technology using faux saguaros and palm trees.

Verizon Wireless was asking to install two 40-foot saguaros on a hillside near the clubhouse at FireRock Country Club.

While the antennas will sit on the hillside, the associated ground equipment will be placed a few hundred feet away near the clubhouse parking lot.

The special use permit is required due to the height of the antenna and proximity to residential property.

A representative for Pinnacle Consulting, doing work for Verizon on the project, told the commission the new antenna would address dead space for service between Shea Boulevard and the interior of the FireRock community.

One resident speaking at the public hearing on the issue asked about safety concerns related to cellular transmission.

He and the commission were told that Verizon operates under standards set by the FCC and the company makes a conscious effort to assure its equipment does not operate in violation of those standards for frequency.

Commission Vice Chairman Mike Archambault asked why two saguaros placed side-by-side were being installed.

The representative explained that current designs call for up to 12 separate antennas on a transmission site. Each saguaro is capable of holding only three antennas, so the second one is being placed to double the capacity.

The commission voted to recommend approval of the request to include stipulations named by staff. Those include the ground equipment be enclosed with an 8-foot masonry wall; a revegetation plan be presented and implemented; develop according to revised plans submitted April 7, 2015; and fulfill the town’s public art commitment.

The second permit would allow T-Mobile to install a 65-foot tall “mono-palm” antenna within the site of Van’s Storage at Technology and Laser drives.

The property is located in an industrial zoning district and the antenna site is near the center of the storage facility.

Associated ground equipment would be installed at the location and additional live palms will be planted in proximity to the antenna.

P&Z also recommended the council approve a special use permit for another 42-foot mono-palm to be placed within the golf course limits near Saguaro and Kingstree boulevards.

EPCOR Water made the request for this antenna to communicate via telemetry between a water well site where the antenna is to be placed and the water treatment plant off Shea Boulevard west of Fountain Hills Boulevard.

This plan also calls for additional live palm trees to be planted near the faux tree.

The Town Council will be holding public hearings and considering final approval of these permit requests at a future meeting.

The consent agenda for the zoning commission last week included a recommendation on preliminary plat approval for a 64-unit condominium project to be built at FireRock Country Club south of Shea Boulevard.

Toll Brothers Construction is the proposed builder for this project.

The council will consider a final plat for this project at a later date.