New Longboat Key pole regulations receive initial approval

The Longboat Key Town Commission granted initial approval of proposed changes to regulations of pole-mounted equipment in town that will open the door for better cell-phone reception, particularly on the north end of the island. 

Monday’s 7-0 vote helps clear the way for the town’s Planning and Zoning Board to hear a special exception application from Verizon Wireless on Nov. 16. Verizon’s proposal calls to install up to nine small cell poles and antennas to boost chronically spotty service on the island.

“We are looking to make some minor adjustments to our laws to make this offer a reality, so that’s what’s going on here today,” Mayor Ken Schneier said.

 Monday’s vote was made necessary allow for equipment that doesn't meet town size standards for installation on  poles. Also, wireless facilities differ from the town’s lighting infrastructure.

The town is planning to increase the maximum size of equipment attached to utility poles to six feet in height, two feet in width and two feet in depth. The code has the following dimensions: Four feet in height, one foot in width and one foot in depth.

“It was actually shown in a graphic that we did in 2019 that said, ‘These are the acceptable facility examples,’ except our dimension standards when we did them were wrong,” town planner Tate Taylor said.

The proposed changes also address how close poles can be from each other. The proposal calls for the poles to be no closer than 60 feet from adjacent lighting built by the town or another free-standing wireless pole.

“The other thing that this tweak does today is make sure that we don’t have two poles next to one another, so that the spacing is addressed as well,” Schneier said.

Town Attorney Maggie Mooney explained how wireless carriers will need to abide by the proposed changes should they receive final approval later this month.

“If you want to come to our island to put up your poles, you have to be substantially similar in size, shape, height and some other aesthetics requirements,” Mooney said.

Schneier mentioned how the proposed changes are in conjunction with the town’s underground utilities project. He said purpose of the underground project is to improve safety, aesthetics and cell service.

“Cell service on at parts of the island...remains terrible,” Schneier said.

It’s unclear yet where specifically the Verizon’s poles will go. Plus, the town is still waiting to hear AT&T’s plans to add small cell capabilities on the island.

“Personal wireless facilities are going to different from that town lighting infrastructure,” Taylor said. “(The) separation may be individual poles in discrete locations rather than a series of poles at the regular intervals on the right-of-way.”

The goal is to improve spotty cell service on the north end of the island. The Town Commission has discussed improving signal on the north end of the island for safety purposes when someone needs to call 911 in the event of an emergency. Also, people need to make phone calls for personal reasons and if they’re working from their north-end properties.

At-Large Commissioner BJ Bishop spoke about her personal struggles with the service.
 
“The most important thing is we have a carrier. Thank God,” Bishop said. “I know every time I travel to Bradenton, when I get to Whitney Plaza, I have to say, ‘And I’ll be hanging up now because I’m going to lose all my coverage.’

“So, for those of you who are on the north end and fight that every single day, hopefully, this is going to make a big difference in all of our lives.”

The Town Commission’s first approval follows suit with the P&Z Board, which recommended approval of the measure with a 7-0 vote during its Oct. 19 meeting.

The measure now heads to the Town Commission’s Nov. 15 meeting for a second reading.