Harold Yellin, Petitioner, on behalf of Cellco Partnership d/b/a Verizon Wireless (VZW), and in accordance with the Franchise Agreement between the City of Savannah and VZW approved by City Council on April 2, 2015, is requesting a license to encroach onto City Right-of-Ways (ROW) with ten additional locations. The Franchise Agreement dated September 4, 2015 governs the installation, operation, and maintenance of a stealth distributive antenna system (DAS) network and required the Petitioner to come back before City Council for approval of additional sites. 

The DAS is a stealth cell tower system designed to be incorporated into light poles and other typical streetscape structures. The DAS will enhance cellular telecom capacity in the downtown area without the need to erect large cell towers that would conflict with the architectural and historical skyline of the City. The designs of the DAS structures and proposed locations have been reviewed by the Metropolitan Planning Commission (MPC) and the Historic District Board of Review and have been approved. A Certificate of Appropriateness (COA) has been issued.

The ten proposed site locations and a short description of each installation are as follows:

1. SV36 – replace existing light pole at the intersection of Habersham & E. Charlton Streets
2. SV37 – replace existing light pole on E. Oglethorpe Avenue between Habersham and Price Streets
3. SV38 – replace existing light pole at intersection of Abercorn Street and Oglethorpe Avenue
4. SV39 – replace existing light pole at intersection of Whitaker and W. State Streets
5. SV40 – install light pole at intersection of W. St. Julian and Bull Streets
6. SV41 – replace existing light pole at intersection of W. State and Barnard Streets
7. SV42 – replace existing light pole at intersection of Montgomery Street and Oglethorpe Avenue
8. SV43 – install light pole at intersection of Barnard and W. Perry Streets
9. SV44 – replace existing light pole at intersection of Barnard and W. Charlton Streets
10. SV45 – replace existing light pole at intersection of W. Taylor and Barnard Streets

The petition request has been reviewed by Real Estate Services, IT, Development Services, Public Works and Water Resources, Planning and Urban Design, and the Greenscapes Department. An encroachment agreement would include the following conditions:

• Petitioner must submit detailed site development and engineering plans for each location to the City for site plan and development review, approval, and issuance of applicable permits prior to any use of the sites.
• The petitioner shall enter into a Revocable License Encroachment Agreement (RLEA) governing use of the property in form as attached to the Franchise Agreement.
• Conditions outlined in the COA and related approvals must be satisfied.

City Council may review and decide each site individually or as a whole. If a site(s) is rejected, then petitioner may request a replacement site to complete coverage of the proposed network.

Requesting approval of petitioners request that the City grant a Revocable License for Encroachment Agreement at the ten sites listed for the installation, operation, and maintenance of a DAS cellular network, as submitted by Harold Yellin on behalf of VZW; and authorization for the City Manager to execute the finalized encroachment agreements per site.

Approval.