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Analysis Although the Site Approval application would normally be processed at staff level, it is being placed on the agenda for a public hearing before the Planning Commission due to considerable neighborhood opposition. The applicant, Nextel Communications, is requesting to locate its cellular facility in the proposed location to provide optimal cellular coverage for its customers. The cellular facility consists of a 72-foot-high steel monopole tower with panel antennas and a 10-foot by 20-foot equipment shelter enclosed in a 30-foot by 30-foot leased area. Nextel claims that collocation on existing towers to the north and to the southwest would not be feasible They claim that collocation would require their antennas to be placed at an elevation too low on the tower, which would not provide the signal strength needed to adequately reach its customers. Neighborhood Opposition The Community Development Department received a total of 22 names listed on a petition from residents living in the neighborhood to the west of the project site. The people in opposition are concerned about the detrimental effect on their property values and the negative aesthetic value of the tower. The project site is situated in a vacant area to the south of Albert's Restaurant. The area is surrounded by fully mature trees on three sides. The east side is void of trees and is adjacent to the Frontage Road that parallels State Route 99. The residents in opposition to this project reside in the neighborhood to the west of the site. Most of the trees are similar in height to the proposed tower, thereby providing a visual barrier that would block most views of the tower from the residents. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 provides that local agencies cannot prohibit or effectively prohibit cellular towers. The Act requires local agencies to make written findings when a local agency denies a cellular tower. The comment letter from the City of Stockton, dated April 20, 1999, confirms that the subject site is located within the area of a Project Study Report(PSR) sponsored by the San Joaquin Council of Governments to improve the traffic capacity of the State Route 99/1-lammer Lane interchange. The City of Stockton comment letter confirms that it is very likely that there will be additional right-of-way requirements within the area of the proposed tower location to accommodate the improvements. Thus, the tower may be required to be removed at the applicant's expense. San Joaquin County SA-99-29\Freitas Community Development Page 3