BENTONVILLE — The Planning Commission approved a conditional use permit for AT&T to build a cell tower behind Buffalo Wild Wings on Moberly Lane on Tuesday night.
The cell tower is needed to make up for gaps in coverage caused by extensive data use of smartphones, said Tom Holiman, a representative of applicant TFM Properties.
“Nobody likes to build new towers,” Holiman said. “But the existing sites are maxed out.”
The new tower at 2727 S.E. Moberly Lane will be 140 feet tall with five internal antennas, according to agenda documents. Approval of the tower’s plan is still pending. Commissioners conditioned their approved upon the applicant putting up a gate to keep cars from parking on the paved road to the tower.
The gate requirement goes beyond the subdivision requirements in the large-scale process and so had to be addressed with a conditional use permit, said Beau Thompson, city planner.
The commission also approved a property line adjustment for the city’s Water and Street departments at 501 S.E. Third St. The adjustment will combine three lots and portions of a vacated alley to become a single 2.3-acre lot.
The city required a waiver on its project to avoid dedicating 35 feet of right of way for a collector street. It asked the requirement be waived and it be subjected only to the regulations of a street. Streets only require 26 feet of right of way from the center line.
“It is our understanding that city staff does not feel that Southeast Third Street should be designated as a collector street and anticipates the master street plan will be revised in the near future to designate Southeast Third as a local street,” wrote John Wary, senior vice president of Morrison Shipley Engineers, to the commission.
Commissioners unanimously approved the waiver request and the property line adjustment.