Verizon Halfway Wireless Facility (PLNG24-052)
Summary
SCH Number
2025060996
Public Agency
City of Elk Grove
Document Title
Verizon Halfway Wireless Facility (PLNG24-052)
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
6/20/2025
Document Description
The Verizon Halfway Wireless Facility Project (“Project”) consists of a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) to install a new wireless communication facility on an existing 110-foot-tall PG&E transmission tower with a 12 foot tall extension, and add nine (9) panel antennas, and six (6) remote radio units (RRU) to the tower. The associated ground equipment will be installed on a 300 square foot lease area on concrete pad within an 8-foot tall fence enclosure, which will be connected to a new access roadway from Bader Road. Ground disturbing activities associated with the new wireless facility shall occur between September 1st and December 31st.
The Applicant’s objective with the Project is to improve wireless communication coverage and performance for Verizon customers within the surrounding rural residential neighborhood.
Contact Information
Name
Kyra Killingsworth
Agency Name
City of Elk Grove
Job Title
Senior Planner
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Name
Matt Moore
Agency Name
Complete Wireless Consulting Inc
Job Title
Representative
Contact Types
Project Applicant
Phone
Location
Cities
Elk Grove
Counties
Sacramento
Regions
Citywide
Parcel #
122-0200-003
Other Location Info
8692 Bader Road, Elk Grove, CA
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
Class 3 Section 15303 (d)
Reasons for Exemption
CEQA requires analysis of agency approvals of discretionary “projects.” A “project,” under CEQA, is defined as “the whole of an action, which has a potential for resulting in either a direct physical change in the environment, or a reasonably foreseeable indirect physical change in the environment” (State CEQA Guidelines Section 15378). The proposed Project is a project under CEQA.
The Project is exempt from CEQA pursuant to State CEQA Guidelines Section 15303 (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures). This exemption provides for the construction and location of limited numbers of new, small facilities or structures. This includes water main, sewage, electrical, gas, and other utility extensions (State CEQA Guidelines 15303[d]). The proposed construction of wireless telecommunication facilities is considered a utility extension.
As mentioned above, neighbors had concern of potential raptors on the existing tower. At the request of the City, Ascent Environmental conducted a field survey in February 2025 and provided a memo to the City and Applicant (dated March 4, 2025). It was noted during the site visit that the on-site annual grassland may have been used as pasture in the past. The Ascent biologist did not observe current or old nesting habitat on the actual tower, but observed a nesting great horned owl about 110 feet from the tower, a small colony of tree swallows about 340 feet from the tower, and red winged blackbird and tricolored blackbird were observed about 600 feet from the tower. The Ascent biologist found that if project activities are conducted during the nonbreeding season (September 1-December 31), no mitigation would be necessary. Here, the Project will be constructed during the non-breeding season as described in the project description above.
During their site visit, the Ascent biologist also observed potential wetlands immediately under the tower and recommended that a qualified biologist conduct a formal wetland delineation of the Project site. A wetland delineation report dated May 5, 2025 from Trileaf Corporation was submitted on behalf of the Applicant. The Trileaf biologist completed a wetland delineation and determined that none of the previously observed inundated areas were wetlands or Waters of the U.S. The City’s environmental consultant peer reviewed the report and concurred that the inundated areas are not wetlands or waters of the US. Therefore, no further environmental review is required.
County Clerk
Sacramento
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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