Public Consultation Package Wireless Communications Site

Transcription

1 Public Consultation Package Wireless Communications Site Lot 29, Concession 9, Geographic Township of Franklin, now in the Township of Lake of Bays Rogers Communications Inc Dixie Road Brampton, ON L6T 0C1 Tatyana Moro, Municipal Relations Specialist Phone: (647)

2 Wireless Communications Site Lot 29, Concession 9, Geographic Township of Franklin, now in the Township of Lake of Bays Introduction The on-going increase in the use of personal cellular phones and other wireless devices such as Blackberry, I-Phone and broadband internet for personal, business and emergency purposes requires the development of new wireless communication infrastructure including new antennas and their support structures to meet the demands of increased capacity and broadening services areas. Canadians currently use more than 25.1 million wireless devices on a daily basis. More importantly, each year Canadians place more than 6 million calls to 911 or other emergency numbers from their mobile phones. Rogers Communications Inc. Rogers constantly strives to improve coverage and network quality for the sake of their clients. In the recent past, due to subscriber feedback, our Network Planning and Engineering departments have become aware of coverage deficiencies within the general area of Lake of Bays in the Portage Bay Area and along Britannia Rd., east of Brunel Rd. This document outlines the site selection process and provides a description of the system associated with the proposed wireless communication installation on property known as Lot 29, Concession 9, Geographic Township of Franklin, now in the Township of Lake of Bays. Background & Coverage Requirement The selection of a wireless communications site works similarly to fitting a piece into a puzzle. In this case, the puzzle is a complex radio network, situated in a rural setting. Client demand, radio frequency engineering principles, local topography and land use opportunities working in concert with one another direct the geography of our sites. In order to achieve a reliable wireless network, carriers must provide a seamless transmission signal to alleviate any gaps in coverage. Gaps in coverage are responsible for dropped calls, and unavailable service to clients. Rogers Communications Inc. would utilize the following proposed site location in order to provide high quality network signal for its high speed wireless voice and data network. Wireless communication carriers constantly strive to improve coverage and network quality for the sake of their clients. Our current coverage in the Lake of Bays (Portage Bay) area is well below our acceptable standards and we need to respond to our customers requests for improved coverage in these areas. The site as proposed will achieve the necessary engineering coverage objectives for our network. The proposed location will enhance much relied upon communication services in the area such as EMS Response, Police and Fire; will significantly improve our wireless signal quality for the local residents; those traveling along the major roads as well provide local subscribers with Rogers 3.5G wireless network coverage and capacity for products and services such as BlackBerry, iphone, cellular phone and wireless internet through the Rogers Rocket Stick technology in the surrounding area. 2

3 Proposed Site Location The Subject Property, with an approximate area of 1,877 ha., is known as Lot 29, Concession 9, Geographic Township of Franklin, now in the Township of Lake of Bays, District Municipality of Muskoka, ON. The geographic coordinates for the site are as follows: Latitude (NAD83) N Longitude (NAD 83) W Figure 1 - Location Map Subject Property As shown on Figure 1, the Subject Property is located (in red) and its immediate surrounding area. 3

4 Proposed Facility Location The proposed wireless communication installation will be located on private property, known as Lot 29, Concession 9, Geographic Township of Franklin, now in the Township of Lake of Bays, at an approximate distance of 76m north of Britannia Rd.; 770m west of the Regional Road 9 and Britannia Rd. intersection; 7km west of Brunel Rd./R.R.2. A copy of Rogers surveyed site plan has been attached for your reference and information. Figure 2 Proposed tower location on the subject property is outlined in an aerial below. Proposed Site 4

5 Description of Proposed System As determined by Rogers radio frequency engineers, an 80-metre high (approximately 262 feet) guyed structure is required for the proposed installation to meet network requirements. This particular site will be a 3 sectored 850 MHz/1900 MHz HSPA Macrosite, for the initial provision of services using two (3) antennas of type ADW_TBXLHB-6565A, allowing for loading of future technologies. Three guy wire sets will be anchored symmetrically approximately 60m from the center of the structure in small fenced enclosures. The site would occupy a compound area of approximately 7.62m X 9.56m (fenced). The guyed structure will be located within a secure compound with a 1.8-metre high chain-link security fence topped with barbed wire. The compound will also contain a walk-in equipment cabinet (WIC) containing radio equipment, backup battery power, maintenance tools, manuals and a first aid kit. The installation will also be equipped with a silent alarm system. The installation would provide an opportunity to accommodate future technology services as well as potential co-location with other licensed carriers helping reduce the number of future structures in the area, which is encouraged by Industry Canada. Rogers Communications Inc. makes every effort to locate cellular sites where they will be the least visually obtrusive and always makes an initial effort to co-locate on existing structures. Apart from being encouraged by Industry Canada, co-location is one of the cornerstones of Rogers site development philosophy. Other potential site locations were evaluated and opportunities to co-locate onto existing structures were investigated. However, the wireless communication structures in the surrounding area that were evaluated are all beyond the distance or below the height required in order to address the coverage deficiencies in the area; are not suitable for our network needs and would not improve our existing signal coverage to the expected quality levels. Since there were no suitable alternative structures readily available for co-location to accommodate our network coverage requirements, Rogers Communications Inc. had to consider the construction of its own installation. Please refer to the following page to a sample of the installation for your reference (Figure 3). 5

6 Figure 3 Sample image of proposed installation 6

7 Municipal Consultation Process Rogers Communications Inc. is regulated and licensed by Industry Canada to provide interprovincial wireless voice and data services. As a federal undertaking, Rogers is required by Industry Canada to consult with land-use authorities in siting antenna locations. The consultation process established under Industry Canada s authority is intended to allow the local land-use authorities the opportunity to address land-use concerns while respecting the federal government s exclusive jurisdiction in the siting and operation of wireless voice and data systems. As the provisions of the Ontario Planning Act and other municipal by-laws and regulations do not apply to federal undertakings, wireless communication facilities are not required to obtain municipal permits of any kind. Rogers is however required to follow established and documented wireless protocols or processes set forth by land-use authorities. The Township of Lake of Bays has developed a protocol for establishing telecommunication facilities in the Township. In fulfillment of the Township s request for public notification, Rogers will be providing an information package and an invitation to an Information Open House to all those property owners located within a radius of 500 metres from the leased area of the proposed structure. Concurrent to the mailing of this invitation, Rogers will erect a sign on the property notifying the public of the proposal; and will place a notice in the local community newspaper. Copy of this information package and an invitation to the Information Open House will be provided to the Township s planning staff and Industry Canada as part of the municipal consultation process. Rogers will be hosting a Drop-In Information Session on November 27, 2012, anytime from 5:00pm to 7:00pm at the Dwight Community Centre, 1014 Dwight Beach Rd., Dwight, ON, P0A 1H0. Federal Requirements In addition to the requirements for consultation with municipal authorities and the public, Rogers must also fulfill other important obligations including the following: Engineering Practices Rogers attests that the radio antenna system as proposed for this site will be constructed in compliance with the Canadian Standard Association and the National Building Code and comply with good engineering practices including structural adequacy. 7

8 Canadian Environmental Assessment Act Industry Canada requires that the installation and modification of antenna systems be done in a manner that complies with appropriate environmental legislation, including the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Rogers ensures that the environmental assessment process is applied early in the planning stages for new wireless communication site proposals in order to meet the requirements for exclusion from the environmental assessment under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act. Rogers attests that the radio antenna system as proposed for this site will comply with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act, as this facility is excluded from assessment. In addition, Rogers Communications Inc. makes every effort to locate cellular sites in an attempt to minimize the negative impacts on the land-form features; minimize visual impact and avoid disturbance of significant nature features. The following are some of the considerations used by Rogers in development criteria of the proposal outlined in order to minimize the possible changes in the environmental and natural landscape: The proposed site location has been set back approximately 76m north of Britannia Rd. on the subject property to maximize the existing vegetation around the proposed site, providing natural screening and assists in mitigating potential visual impacts of the installation on the community. The existing mature trees surrounding the property will provide effective screening of the proposed site s lower portion. The upper portion of the structure will remain visible above the existing tree line. Rogers will minimize the removal of existing trees to accommodate the proposed installation and the access road. While it is not possible to completely screen our site by existing vegetation, in an attempting to do our best to lessen the visual impact of our structure Rogers has decreasing the height of the installation to 80m, from 100m (approx. 65ft). Design selected for this proposal is appropriate considering the area context and will best achieve our objectives while utilizing the existing natural mitigation features, as well as provide for future co-location opportunities with other wireless service providers in an attempt to reduce the number of structures in the area. The installation will have no impact on the water shed or the wells, water quality or any water systems. No chemicals, pesticides or herbicides that could potentially have an adverse effect on the water systems will be contained on our structure or the associated walk-in radio equipment cabinet. During construction precautions will be taken to minimize any disruption to the current operation on the site and to the surrounding residents. Once site is in service, there will be no noise associated with the daily operation of the installation. 8

9 Transport Canada s Aeronautical Obstruction Marking Requirements Aerodrome safety is under the exclusive jurisdiction of NAV Canada and Transport Canada. An important obligation of Rogers installations is to comply with Transport Canada / NAV CANADA aeronautical safety requirements. Transport Canada perform an assessment of the proposal with respect to the potential hazard to air navigation and notify Rogers of any painting and/or lighting requirements for the antenna system. Rogers anticipates that the proposed installation may require markings and/or lighting and will submit the necessary applications to the appropriate parties to obtain required approvals. Rogers lighting systems used on our installation have been recently upgraded to an LED lighting system. This system is specifically designed to reflect glare in upward direction, therefore providing minimal ground scatter and is considered community friendly. Rogers Communications Inc. attests that the radio antenna system described in this notification package will comply with Transport Canada / NAV Canada aeronautical safety requirements. For additional detailed information, please consult Transport Canada at: Health Canada s Safety Code 6 Compliance Health Canada is responsible for research and investigation to determine and promulgate the health protection limits for Exposure to the RF electromagnetic energy. Accordingly, Health Canada has developed a guideline entitled Limits of Human Exposure to Radiofrequency Electromagnetic Field in the Frequency Range from 3kHz to 300 GHz Safety Code 6. The exposure limits specified in Safety Code 6 were established from the results of hundreds of studies over the past several decades where the effects of RF energy on biological organisms were examined. Radiocommunication, including technical aspects related to broadcasting, is under responsibility of the Ministry of Industry (Industry Canada), which has the power to establish standards, rules, policies and procedures. Industry Canada, under this authority, has adopted Safety Code 6 for the protection of the general public. As such, Industry Canada requires all proponents and operators to ensure that their installations and apparatus comply with the Safety Code 6 at all times. Rogers Communications Inc. attests that the radio antenna system described in this notification package will at all times comply with Health Canada s Safety Code 6 limits, as may be amended from time to time, for the protection of the general public including any combined effects of additional carrier co-locations and nearby installations within the local radio environment. In fact, emissions levels of Roger s wireless communication installations are far below the limits outlined in Safety Code 6. More information in the area of RF exposure and health is available at the following web site: Safety Code 6: and 9

10 Industry Canada s Spectrum Management Please be advised that the approval of this site and its design is under the exclusive jurisdiction of the Government of Canada through Industry Canada. For more information on Industry Canada s public consultation guidelines including CPC contact ( or the local Industry Canada office at spectrum.sault-ste-marie@ic.gc.ca: Northern Ontario District 2 Queen Street East 6 th floor, Suite 600 Sault Ste. Marie, ON P6A 6V4 Tel.: Fax: spectrum.sault-ste-marie@ic.gc.ca General information relating to antenna systems is available on Industry Canada s Spectrum Management and Telecommunications website ( Contact Information - Rogers Communications Inc. and Public Comment Submission Rogers Communications Inc. is committed to effective public consultation. The public is invited to provide comments to Rogers about this proposal by mail, electronic mail, phone or fax. Please send your comments to the address below by the close of business day on December 7, 2012: Rogers Communications Inc Dixie Road Brampton, Ontario, L6T 0C1 Attn: Tatyana Moro, Municipal Relations Specialist Tatyana.Moro@rci.rogers.com Fax: (647) Phone: (647) Closing Date for Submission of Written Public Comments Industry Canada s rules contain requirements for timely response to your questions, comments or concerns. We will acknowledge receipt of all communication within 14 days and will provide a formal response to the Municipality and those members of the public who communicate to Rogers, within 60 days. The members of the public who communicated with Rogers will then have 21days to review and reply to Rogers a final response. 10

11 Proponent s Contact Information - Rogers Communications Inc. Tatyana Moro, Municipal Relations Specialist Rogers Communications Inc Dixie Road Brampton, ON L6T 0C1 Phone: (647) Tatyana.Moro@rci.rogers.com Fax: (647) Contact Information The Corporation of the City of Pickering Stefan Szczerbak, Planner Township of Lake of Bays R.R.# Dwight Beach Road Dwight, ON P0A 1H0 Phone: (705) sszczerbak@lakeofbays.on.ca Fax: (705) Conclusion Access to reliable wireless communications services is of great importance to residents and travelers safety and well-being in today s society. Wireless technology has fast become the preferred method of conducting business and personal communications among a large part of the population. The trend of future telecom is to become truly wireless, that is the delivery of the voice and data communications via conventional telephone lines, such as telephone poles along streets and roads, will be virtually obsolete. The current wireless infrastructure will be able to meet this trend and still provide a reliable system. Strong wireless networks are building blocks for all sectors of the economy and must be considered a competitive advantage for Canadian communities. Improved wireless coverage also means better access to emergency services such as fire, police or ambulance, and greater business development opportunities. The availability of high quality, robust and reliable wireless networks results in significant direct and indirect benefits to all Canadians. Rogers feels that the proposed site is well located to provide and improve wireless voice and data services in the targeted area. The proposed site is also situated and designed to have minimal impact on surrounding land uses. Rogers looks forward to working with Township of Lake of Bays in providing improved wireless services to the community. Rogers Communications Inc., Network Implementation 11

12 Public Comment Record Rogers Proposed Wireless Communications Installation Lot 29, Concession 9, Geographic Township of Franklin, now in the Township of Lake of Bays Name: Address: Telephone: Comments To be considered part of this consultation, comments must be received by close of business day on December 7, Please forward your comments to: Rogers Communications Inc. c/o Tatyana Moro, Municipal Relations Specialist 8200 Dixie Road, Brampton, Ontario L6T 0C1 Fax: Phone: Continue on reverse if required * Comments received shall form part of Industry Canada s Public Consultation Process under the Spectrum Management and Telecommunications Client Procedures Circular CPC , Issue 4, and will be made public as part of a report issued to the Township of Lake of Bays and Industry Canada. 12

13 * Comments received shall form part of Industry Canada s Public Consultation Process under the Spectrum Management and Telecommunications Client Procedures Circular CPC , Issue 4, and will be made public as part of a report issued to the Township of Lake of Bays and Industry Canada. 13