8040 16th Street AT&T Wireless Communication Facility
Summary
SCH Number
2026060428
Public Agency
Sacramento County
Document Title
8040 16th Street AT&T Wireless Communication Facility
Document Type
NOE - Notice of Exemption
Received
Posted
6/10/2026
Document Description
The project is a request for the following entitlements from Sacramento County:
1. A Use Permit to allow a new 55-foot faux water tank wireless communication facility and associated equipment in the Agricultural Residential (AR-5) Zone.
2. A Special Development Permit to allow the proposed project to deviate from the following development standard:
• Separation – Public Right of Way (Section 3.6.7.A, Table 3.6.2): New towers and equipment enclosures located on Group 1 parcels shall be separated from the public right of way by 31 feet if a public utility public facility easement (PUPFE) is required. The tower and equipment enclosure are proposed to be setback 21 feet from the public right of way.
3. A Design Review to determine substantial compliance with the Sacramento County Countywide Design Guidelines (Design Guidelines).
The project consists of a Use Permit to construct a new 55-foot-tall faux water tank wireless communication facility on the southwest portion of the subject property (adjacent to 16th Street). The new WCF will be located within a 40-foot by 31-foot (1,240 square feet) ground lease area, enclosed by a 6-foot-tall chain link fence with brown or neutral tone colored privacy slats with a 12-foot-wide access gate. A 5-foot wide landscape easement will be installed around the outer perimeter of the lease area. The facility will consist of six (6) panel antennas and six (6) air antennas, which will be mounted at a height of 51 feet. In addition, a total of 12 remote radio units (RRU’s) will be mounted at a height of 50 feet. The antennas will be mounted on a monopole structure encased within the faux water tank. The lease area consists of equipment cabinets and a diesel backup generator.
Access to the WCF is proposed via a compacted gravel 20-foot wide access drive with hammerhead turnaround for fire access. Electrical and fiber lines will extend from the ground equipment in the lease area along the access drive and north along west property line approximately 180 feet to the existing utility pole.
The property is located within the Elverta Specific Plan with a future land use designation of Residential (RD-10). The wireless communication facility is consistent with the policies of the Elverta Specific Plan and the proposed location at the southwest corner will accommodate future development. In addition, the WCF is located outside of the ultimate right-of-way of 16th Street.
Control Number: PLNP2025-00173
Contact Information
Name
Julie Newton
Agency Name
Sacramento County
Job Title
Environmental Coordinator
Contact Types
Lead/Public Agency
Phone
Email
Name
Carl Jones
Agency Name
Epic Wireless Group, LLC
Job Title
Applicant
Contact Types
Project Applicant / Parties Undertaking Project
Phone
Location
Cities
Sacramento
Counties
Sacramento
Regions
Countywide, Unincorporated
Parcel #
203-0040-003
Other Location Info
The project is located at 8040 16th Street, on the east side of 16th Street and approximately 300 feet north of the intersection of Elverta Road and 16th Street, in the Rio Linda Community of unincorporated Sacramento County.
Notice of Exemption
Exempt Status
Categorical Exemption
Type, Section or Code
PRC Section 21084; CEQA Guidelines Sections 15300-15333 • CEQA Guidelines Section 15303 – New Construction or Conversion
Reasons for Exemption
Reasons Why Project is Exempt:
Class 3 consists of the construction and location of limited numbers of new, small facilities or structures; installation of small new equipment and facilities in small structures; and the conversion of existing small structures from one use to another where only minor modifications are made in the exterior of the structure. The project a consists of the construction of new 55-foot-tall faux water tank wireless communication facility within a 40-foot by 31-foot (1,240 square feet) ground lease area, equipment cabinets, backup generator, fencing and landscaping, access drive and utility extensions. The project is considered a small project and complies with the exception criteria below and is therefore exempt from the provisions of CEQA.
Section 15300.2-Exceptions
Section 15300.2 of the CEQA Guidelines, Exceptions, provides conditions under which categorical exemptions are inapplicable. Review of the Project indicates that it will not violate any of the exceptions, as described in the following section.
1. For Classes 3, 4, 5, 6, and 11, will the project have an impact on an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern where designated, precisely mapped, and officially adopted pursuant to law by federal, state, or local agencies?
The project site is located in the northeast portion of Sacramento County, in the Rio Linda community. The property consists of a single-family residence and miscellaneous agricultural structures. The wireless communication facility is located at the southwest corner of the subject property along the 16th Street frontage and will not impact future development of the property. The project site is not located on lands designated as, or precisely mapped as, a hazard or critical concern. Therefore, construction of the project will not result in impacts on an environmental resource of hazardous or critical concern.
2. Will cumulative impacts be considerable because successive projects of the same type will occur at the same place over time?
As it stands, the project will not result in potentially significant impacts. The project consists of the construction of a 55-foot-tall wireless communication facility in an Agricultural Residential (AR-5) zoning District. Therefore, no cumulative impacts will result from the project and successive projects of the same type and at the same place over time.
3. Is there a reasonable possibility that the activity will have a significant effect on the environment due to unusual circumstances?
The wireless communication facility utilizes a stealth water tower design to minimize visual impact on the surrounding agricultural residential landscape. The request for the Special Development Permit to deviate from the 31-foot setback from the public right of way will not result in a new aesthetic impact to users traveling on 16th Street. There is an existing windmill structure on the subject property and the proposed water tower does not create a new aesthetic impact.
The project applicant submitted a Radio Frequency Emissions Compliance Report for AT&T Mobility, prepared April 7, 2026, by Waterford Consultants. The full report can be reviewed either in person at the Planning and Environmental Review office during normal business hours (office is located at 827 7th Street, Room 225) or online at https://planningdocuments.saccounty.gov. The report concluded that the proposed wireless communication facility will be compliant with radiofrequency radiation exposure limits. The proposed operation will not expose members of the general public to hazardous levels of RF energy at ground level or in adjacent buildings. The report found that the facility will not exceed FCC standards and there are no known unusual circumstances that will have a significant effect on the environment.
The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is required to consider human exposure to RF radiation and requires applicants to submit the Radio Frequency Emissions Compliance Report. The purpose of the report is ensure that the proposed telecommunication facility does not pose a health risk. Sacramento County has included information regarding this report for informational purposes only.
4. Will the project result in damage to scenic resources, including but not limited to trees, historic buildings, rock outcroppings, or similar resources within a highway officially designated as a scenic highway?
River Road/ Highway 160 (from the Sacramento City Limits at the northern edge of Freeport to the southern tip of the Delta at Antioch Bridge) is a designated State Scenic Highway. The project is not located within the vicinity of this scenic highway. Therefore, the project will not result in damage to scenic resources or similar resources within a highway that is officially designated as a scenic highway.
5. Is the project located on a site which is included on any list compiled pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code?
The project site is not included on any list compiled pursuant to Section 65962.5 of the Government Code. Therefore, implementation of the project will not have an impact related to being located on a hazardous waste site.
6. Will the project cause a substantial adverse change in the significance of a historic resource?
The project site does not contain any historical resources.
County Clerk
Sacramento
Attachments
Notice of Exemption
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