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Project Title: |
Land Use Permit for the Renewal of an Existing T-Mobile Wireless Telecommunications Facility. |
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County File: |
CDLP25-02042 |
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Applicant/Owner: |
Isabel Chavez, Network Connex on behalf of T-Mobile West LLC (Applicant) / Country Club Blackhawk Association (Owner) |
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Zoning/General Plan: |
P-1 Planned Unit District / Resource Conservation (RC) and Commercial Recreation (CR) |
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Site Address/Location: |
Northwest portion of 27 Eagle Ridge Lane in the unincorporated Danville area of Contra Costa County (Assessor’s Parcel Number 203-770-006) |
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California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) Status: |
Categorical Exemption - Class 1: CEQA Guidelines Section 15301(b), Existing Facility |
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Project Planner: |
Dulce Reckmeyer-Walton, Project Planner; (925) 655-2854 |
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Dulce.reckmeyer-walton@dcd.cccounty.us |
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Staff Recommendation: |
Approve (See Section II for Full Recommendation) |
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I. PROJECT SUMMARY
The applicant requests approval of a Land Use Permit renewal of an existing T-Mobile wireless telecommunications facility that was established under County file #CDDP16-03015. No modifications to the wireless facility are proposed.
II. RECOMMENDATION
The Department of Conservation and Development, Community Development Division (CDD) staff recommends that the County Zoning Administrator:
A. FIND that the project is categorically exempt from CEQA under Section 15301(b) of the CEQA Guidelines.
B. APPROVE Land Use Permit CDLP25-02042 for the renewal of an existing T-Mobile wireless telecommunications facility, based on the attached findings and subject to the attached conditions of approval.
C. DIRECT Staff to file a Notice of Exemption with the County Clerk
III. GENERAL INFORMATION
A. General Plan: Resource Conservation, RC, and Commercial Recreation, CR.
B. Zoning: P-1 Planned Unit District.
C. California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA): Categorical Exemption - CEQA Guidelines, Section 15301(b), Existing Facility, Class 1 exemption for the operation of existing facilities used to provide public utility services.
D. Previous Applications:
1. CDDP96-03013: This Development Plan to establish a new unmanned wireless telecommunications facility for T-Mobile, within the Blackhawk Country Club, was approved by the Zoning Administrator on August 26, 1996, for a period of 20 years to August 26, 2016.
2. CDDP08-3066: This Development Plan to modify the existing T-Mobile facility approved under #CDDP96-03013 to add a pole and two antennas was approved by the Zoning Administrator on December 1, 2008.
3. CDCV11-00024: This Compliance Review, which included a 3-year Condition of Approval compliance review in addition to a minor equipment upgrade of the wireless facility approved under #CDDP08-03066, was administratively approved on November 7, 2011.
4. CDCV12-00051: This Compliance Review of the wireless telecommunications facility approved under #CDDP08-03066 to replace six (6) new panels for the T-Mobile facility, was administratively approved on July 9, 2012.
5. CDDP16-03015: This Development Plan to modify the existing T-Mobile facility previously approved under #CDDP08-03066, was approved by the Zoning Administrator on August 1, 2016. For a period of 10 years to August 1, 2026.
6. CDCV19-00031: This Compliance Review was the initial review for a 3-year Condition of Approval compliance review of Conditions of Approval for Development Plan #CDDP16-03015, was administratively approved on April 4, 2019.
7. CDWM25-00003: This Wireless Minor Alteration Permit to allow a non-substantial modification of the existing T-Mobile wireless facility was approved by the Zoning Administrator on May 30, 2025 for the remaining term of #CDDP16-03015 to August 1, 2026.
IV. SITE/ AREA DESCRIPTION
The project site is a vacant 9.2-acre private Resource Recreation parcel within the Blackhawk Country Club development located approximately ¼ mile northwest of the Eagle Ridge Drive and Eagle Nest Place intersection, and located at the end of Eagle Ridge Lane approximately 152-feet from the nearest residence in the Eagle Ridge section of the Blackhawk Country Club residential community that is located generally south of the site. The existing T-Mobile’s telecommunication facility is adjacent to and located northwest of the service road. Landscaping has been planted parallel to the southwest side of the telecommunications facility to screen views of the antennas mounted on facility. T-Mobile’s lease area and the ground-level equipment area are screened by a 6-foot brown wired fence with privacy slats and a CMU rock wall. One other wireless provider (Verizon) is currently operating on the subject site; the other carrier’s lease area is just north of the T-Mobile’s facility. The T-Mobile’s facility site is accessible from a utility service road that begins at the end of Eagle Ridge Lane.
V. PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The applicant requests approval of a Land Use Permit to allow the renewal of an existing T-Mobile wireless telecommunications facility that was originally established under County file #CDDP96-03013 and was most recently operated under County file #CDDP16-03015, which expires on August 1, 2026. There are no facility or lease area modifications proposed with this application.
VI. AGENCY COMMENTS
An Agency Comment Request packet was sent on December 3, 2025, to a number of public agencies, including the Department of Conservation and Development Building Inspection Division, Contra Costa County Environmental Health Services, San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District, and Central Sanitary District. Comments received by staff are included in Attachment D. Following are summaries of the agency comments received.
A. Department of Conservation and Development, Wireless Telecommunication Planner: On December 3, 2025, the Telecommunication Planner emailed comments to include the utility easement on the site plan, request an as-built RF report and to include concealment Conditions of Approval with this Land Use permit.
B. Central Sanitary District: On January 8, 2026, the Utility District submitted an email stating that the District had no comments.
C. San Ramon Valley Fire Protection District: The Fire Protection District returned the Agency Comment Request form on December 16, 2026, with no comments.
VII. STAFF ANALYSIS
A. General Plan Consistency: The T-Mobile wireless telecommunications facility is located within the Resource Conservation (RC) and Commercial Recreation (CR) General Plan Land Use designation, which allows privately-owned recreational uses where the primary activity is conducted outdoors within Planned-Unit development that are under private ownership. The site is owned by the Blackhawk Homeowners Association and is maintained as predominantly commercial recreation for a golf course. The construction of public and semi-public infrastructure is consistent with the Resource Conservation Land Use designation. As such, allowing the renewal of the existing wireless telecommunications facility will not detract from the purpose and intent of the Resource Conservation and Commercial Recreation General Plan designation.
B. Zoning Compliance: The facility is located in a P-1 Planned Unit zoning district. Allowable uses in the P-1 District include communication towers and facilities with a valid land use permit. Pursuant to the Wireless Telecommunications Facilities Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2016-11), a wireless telecommunications facility may also be located within a P-1 zoning district. The facility also provides telecommunications service that would be compatible and consistent with other land uses in Blackhawk P-1 Planned Unit Development area. With approval of the #CDLP25-02042 application, the renewal of the existing T-Mobile wireless telecommunications facility would be consistent with the P-1 District. Furthermore, there are no proposed modifications to the T-Mobile facility.
C. Wireless Telecommunications Facilities Ordinance: The T-Mobile wireless telecommunications facility is subject to the Wireless Telecommunication Facilities Ordinance (Ordinance No. 2016-11), which is codified as County Code Chapter 88-24. The Land Use Permit application is for the renewal of the existing wireless facility with no proposed modifications to the existing antennas, ancillary equipment, or to the ground-mounted equipment located within the existing lease area. The application complies with the applicable requirements of County Code Section 88-24.614 for the discretionary approval of land use permit for a wireless facility.
This facility was originally regulated under the County’s 1998 Telecommunications Policy, which provides guidelines and policies intended to minimize telecommunications facilities adverse environmental effects and ensure that the facilities are maintained and operated in such a manner that they do not compromise safety or pose problems with the use of the land. Within the 1998 Telecommunications Policy, there are guidelines that call for facilities aesthetic impacts to be minimized to the point where the facility is unnoticeable through such methods as designing facilities to appear as natural features found in the immediate area, screening the equipment with landscaping, or painting the equipment to better blend in with surroundings. The existing condition of this facility is consistent with these guidelines being painted with a non-reflective paint that will blend in with the greenery landscape surrounding this area for the overall visual impact. Additionally, the equipment area is screened by a 6-foot brown wired fence with privacy slats and the CMU rock wall to match the aesthetic of the surrounding open space area. As these are the current conditions, and this Land Use Permit is conditioned to maintain these visual conditions, the facility is still compliant with the 1998 Telecommunications Policy. Therefore, the renewal of the Land Use permit for the existing T-Mobile wireless telecommunications facility with no modifications, and as conditioned, is consistent with all applicable requirements within Chapter 88-24 of the County Ordinance Code.
D. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Regulations: The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has adopted radio frequency protection standards, which establish safety levels with respect to human exposure to radio frequency (RF) emissions. The standards prescribe limits for continuous exposure to RF emissions. As part of the submittal process, the applicant provided the Radio Frequency - Electromagnetic Energy (RF-EME) Compliance Report prepared by Michael McGuire, PE, Global Technology Associated dated June 24, 2025, which is a report to evaluate the RF emissions compared to the Maximum Permissible Exposure (MPE) limit for facilities at this location, pursuant to FCC regulations The RF report indicates that with the proposed signage mitigations implemented, the site will be in compliance with the current FCC occupational limit. Thus, the wireless facility would be compliant with federal regulations pertaining to RF emissions.
E. Appropriateness of Use: The existing wireless telecommunications facility has been established on the project site since 1996. Staff is unaware of any nuisances arising from the operation of the existing wireless facility. Neither the antennas nor ground-mounted equipment display any type of advertising, and the wireless facility complies with the paint reflectivity and other aesthetic requirements of the prior CDDP16-03015 Development Plan. Conditions are included in the Conditions of Approval and Advisory Notes that require that the facility, equipment shelter, external accessory equipment, and antenna enclosure shall not be used for advertising for the life of the project and require maintenance of the external appearance of the wireless facility. Furthermore, the CMU rock wall structure and the oleanders trees facing the Eagle Ridge Drive and Eagle Nest Place will serve as screening to minimize visual effects of the facility and equipment. Thus, the renewal of this wireless facility would not be detrimental to surrounding land-use activities, making the project an appropriate use of the subject property.
VIII. CONCLUSION
The renewal of the Land Use permit for the existing T-Mobile wireless telecommunications facility is consistent with the General Plan, the P-1 Planned Unit District, the Wireless Telecommunications Facilities Ordinance, and applicable FCC regulations. Staff recommends approval of Land Use Permit #CDLP25-02042 based on the attached findings and subject to the attached conditions of approval.
ATTACHMENTS
A. Findings and Conditions of Approval (COAs)
B. Maps
C. Agency Comments
D. Landscape Photos
E. Plans
F. RF Report