MEMORANDUM

To: City Council

From: David J. Deutsch, City Manager

Subject: Jericho Park Prince George’s County Public Safety Tower R-98-06

Date: November 27, 2006

Prince George’s County has contacted the City about construction of a tower at Jericho Park as part of the County’s public safety and emergency communication system (see attachment 1). Construction of this tower will allow for compatibility with other jurisdictions in the Metropolitan Washington area concerning public safety and emergency communication. This compatibility does not currently exist.

The County is constructing a communication system that involves the installation of 21 towers throughout Prince George’s County. In addition to the Jericho Park tower, the County is proposing to construct a tower at the Nash property near the Route 50 and Route 3/301 intersection as part of this network. One of the critical aspects in establishing a communication system of this magnitude is to ensure in-building coverage for first responders and public safety personnel. The proposed Bowie tower at Jericho Park will provide a high level of in-building coverage in the City of Bowie and for Bowie State University as well.

Because of the configuration of the County’s public safety communication system, a communication tower will need to be located in the general vicinity of the proposed tower. If this site is not selected, another site in close proximity will need to be selected.

The City has agreed to partner with Prince George’s County because of the enhanced public safety aspect of this project. The City’s new police department will also be a beneficiary of this project. The City also feels that the location of this proposed tower at Jericho Park is at one of the least obtrusive sites in the area.

Cellular telephone equipment or wireless communication equipment could also be located on the tower. This will reduce the need for separately constructed cellular monopoles in this area. The City will be afforded the opportunity to enter into separate leases with cellular or wireless carriers and the City will receive the proceeds from these leases. At this point, no cellular or wireless communication companies have expressed an interest in co-locating on this tower.

The height of the proposed three-legged tower is 330 feet. The 800 MHz transmit antenna will be located at 310 feet and the receive antenna will be at 330 feet. The cellular or wireless carriers will probably be located at the 120 to 140 foot range.

A fenced area, approximately 100 feet x 100 feet, will be constructed on this site for ground mounted communication equipment. The area where this tower is proposed to be installed is in the back portion of the area graded for the proposed Boys and Girls Club gymnasium. The tower construction is not planned in the area where the Boys and Girls Club building footprint was proposed.

This project will be reviewed by both the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration. Applications will not be filed until community input has been received and the City Council has approved the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the County. Also, the County is required to perform an environmental assessment of this site.

Because the tower is proposed to be constructed at 330 feet rather than at 450 feet, this has reduced the requirement for high-intensity lighting to medium-intensity lighting. Strobe lighting will only be used during the daylight hours with non-intrusive red lighting used during hours of darkness.

The zoning for this property is R-A. The construction of this tower is a permitted use because it is a public use being built on public property.

The County originally proposed to construct this tower at the City’s Public Works facility. However, several citizens expressed concerns about the Public Works location, so the alternate location of Jericho Park is being considered.

In recommending the Jericho Park site over the Public Works facility, the main criterion staff considered was the potential impact this tower would have on surrounding properties. It is staff’s judgment that because of the remoteness of the Jericho Park site, it is a preferable location to that of Public Works. Also, there is currently a communication tower, approximately 180 feet high, located on the Jericho Park site. In addition, there are PEPCO electrical transmission lines located in proximity to the Jericho Park site as well.

One advantage of the Public Works site is that cellular and wireless communication companies have expressed an interest in co-locating with the County at public works. Staff would recommend pursuing this interest with the possible construction of a monopole on the Public Works site to accommodate these companies. A monopole would only have to be constructed in the 120 to 140 foot range. A 120 to 140 foot monopole should be much more agreeable to surrounding property owners around Public Works rather than the 330 foot tower proposed by the County. Should the City decide to pursue this course of action, public notification and a stakeholder meeting would be held for property owners surrounding Public Works.

Thirty-five letters were sent to properties located within 500 feet of the Jericho Park site inviting them to a stakeholders meeting held on November 21, 2006. Three residents attended the meeting. One was a representative of the City’s Community Recreation Committee (CRC) who expressed no opposition to this site. The other people who attended were a husband and wife who expressed concern about the location of the tower at Jericho Park because of the potential adverse impact on property values to surrounding properties.

Unfortunately, the location of a tower of this size is going to have some detractors wherever it is located. As indicated above, staff has attempted to work with Prince George’s County to locate this tower in a place where it serves the County’s public safety communication requirements, but also where it has the least impact on surrounding properties.

City Council is being asked to approve an MOU between the City and the County to allow the construction of a communication tower as described above on the Jericho Park property. Exhibit 1 to the attached resolution is an example of the MOU that the City would enter into with the County.

Staff Recommendation

Because of the reasons put forth in this staff memorandum, staff recommends City Council approval of Resolution R-98-06, authorizing the City Manager to enter into a MOU with Prince George’s County in substantially similar form as Exhibit 1 to Resolution R-98-06, to allow Prince George’s County to construct a public safety communication tower at Jericho Park.

DJD/JLF/adf

Attachments

RESOLUTION OF THE COUNCIL OF
THE CITY OF BOWIE, MARYLAND
APPROVING A MEMORANDUM OF UNDERSTANDING BETWEEN THE CITY OF BOWIE AND PRINCE GEORGE’S COUNTY TO INSTALL A PUBLIC SAFETY COMMUNICATION TOWER AT THE CITY OF BOWIE JERICHO PARK

WHEREAS, the City of Bowie (hereafter referred to as the ‘City”) is the owner of a parcel of land commonly known as Jericho Park; and

WHEREAS, Prince George’s County (hereafter referred to as “County”) would like to construct a public safety radio communication tower at Jericho Park; and

WHEREAS, construction of this tower will allow for compatibility with other jurisdictions in the Metropolitan Washington area concerning public safety and emergency communication; and

WHEREAS, the City’s new police department will benefit from the construction of this tower; and

WHEREAS, the City could also benefit economically by the potential location of cellular or wireless communication carriers on this tower; and

WHEREAS, the term of this lease is for thirty years; and

WHEREAS, a letter was sent to all residents living within 500 feet of this property informing them of this matter.

NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Bowie City Council that the City and its residents and the residents of Prince George’s County will benefit from the improved public safety and emergency communications as a result of construction of a tower at Jericho Park; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the City Manager is hereby authorized to execute a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on behalf of the City substantially similar to the MOU attached as Exhibit 1.

INTRODUCED AND PASSED by the Council of the City of Bowie, Maryland at a meeting on December 4, 2006.

ATTEST: THE CITY OF BOWIE, MARYLAND

_______________________ __________________________
Pamela A. Fleming G. Frederick Robinson
City Clerk Mayor