Fire station cell antenna on city docket

 The Sonora City Council will meet tonight to hear a presentation from an AT&T representative regarding a proposed cellular antenna site at the Sonora Fire Department station.

The cell site would provide faster data speeds, improve coverage and quality of service, and increase the number of users on AT&T’s network, said AT&T spokesman Lane Kasselman.

Only AT&T customers or those roaming on the company’s network would be affected, Kasselman said.    

The purpose of the presentation is to provide the council with information about potential design, explain the reasoning behind selecting the fire station for a location and provide the council with an opportunity to ask questions, Kasselman said.   

A cell site is not a large structure like a cell tower, but rather an antenna that can be mounted to a number of different places on the fire station building, according to Kasselman. He added that it’s unlikely it will be visible from the road.    

City Administrator Tim Miller is reviewing the company’s application and the matter will be up for vote at a future council meeting.    

The council will also hold a public hearing to consider approving an application by the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation for rezoning a less than one-acre parcel at 1250 S. Washington St.    

An existing single-family residence sits on the parcel, which is zoned for commercial use in the city’s current General Plan. 

A burn-down letter, given in the event of a house fire, cannot be issued by the city if the residence is in a commercial use zone. The letter would allow the property owner to rebuild the residence in the event it is destroyed.    

The General Plan allows for commercial zones to be re-designated for tourist or administrative use, which allows for single-family residences, according to Community Development Director Rachelle Kellogg.    

The council meets on the first and third Monday of each month at 5 p.m. in City Hall, 94 N. Washington St.