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11111111111111 <br />City of Tukwila <br />Department of Community Development - Nora Gierloff, AICP, Director <br />STAFF REPORT TO THE PLANNING COMMISSION <br />Prepared August 12, 2021 <br />FILE NUMBERS: L21-0096 Zoning Code Amendment <br />E21-0009 SEPA Checklist <br />REQUEST: <br />Allan Ekberg, Mayor <br />Consider amendments to Tukwila's Zoning Code to bring it into alignment with <br />recent FCC regulations for wireless communication facilities. The Planning <br />Commission will hold a public hearing on the proposed amendments and make <br />recommendations to the City Council for review and adoption. <br />PUBLIC HEARING: August 26, 2021 <br />LOCATION: Citywide <br />STAFF: Nora Gierloff, DCD Director <br />Emily Miner, Assistant City Attorney <br />ATTACHMENTS: <br />A. Proposed Ordinance Language Clean <br />B. Proposed Ordinance Language Redline <br />C. Table Summary of Industry Comments <br />BACKGROUND <br />Wireless communication technology has pivoted from large cell towers that were designed to transmit <br />frequencies over long distance to small wireless facilities (4G and 5G networks) that are designed to increase <br />capacity. These installations are significantly smaller than the existing macro installations and are/will be located <br />closer to the end user. This means that small wireless installations will be focused on the rights-of-way and <br />adjacent areas. <br />The Federal Communications Commission ("FCC") has adopted new regulations regarding local municipalities' <br />authority to regulate the deployment of small wireless communications facilities. In order to account for those <br />changes in Federal law, the City needs to update its municipal code. <br />Tukwila adopted an interim code to address wireless facilities under Ordinance No. 2652 on April 12, 2021. <br />Those temporary regulations will expire October 12, 2021. Staff has now drafted a permanent set of regulations <br />and has circulated those regulations for industry review, as well as GMA/SEPA review. While no comments were <br />received from the GMA or SEPA process, industry comments were received and some of the comments have <br />been incorporated into the draft code. A table summary of all comments received has been included as <br />Attachment C. <br />Tukwila City Hall • 6200 Southcenter Boulevard • Tukwila, WA 98188 • 206-433-1800 • Website: TukvirilaWA.gov <br />5 <br />