DATE: 08/19/2026
TO: Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Planning and Development Department
2026-268
REQUEST FOR CITY COUNCIL ACTION
SUBJECT:
CONDITIONAL USE PERMIT FOR A WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS FACILITY
IN KELLOGG PARK
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY:
This staff report asks the City Council to affirm the decision by the Planning and Housing Commission to grant a Conditional Use Permit (CUP) for a 65-foot-tall wireless telecommunications facility, disguised as a pine tree (“monopine”), within Kellogg Park.
RECOMMENDED ACTION:
That the City Council:
a. Take no action, thereby affirming the Planning and Housing Commission’s action granting CUP2025-0003, based on the findings contained in the staff report and conditions of approval.
OR
b. Set the item for review at a subsequent meeting.
BACKGROUND & HISTORY:
Kellogg Park is approximately 4.5 acres and surrounded by residential development. The City of Corona owns Kellogg Park, with the Community Services Department responsible for its operations and oversight. The new monopine is proposed to be constructed within the development footprint of a previous monopine, which was removed in 2016.
ANALYSIS:
CUP2025-0003 is a request by Nuwave International Industrials (“Applicant”), on behalf of Verizon, to construct of a 65-foot-tall monopine at Kellogg Park that provides cellular coverage for Verizon customers in the vicinity.
The proposed monopine would be located at the center of Kellogg Park, within the approximate footprint of a previously approved, now removed, monopine. An existing, fully enclosed building previously used for storage and screening of the former tower’s accessory equipment remains and would again be used to store equipment associated with the new monopine. The backup generator for the monopine will be stored within a new 336-square-foot enclosure surrounded by a nine-foot and six-inch high decorative block wall.
The monopine features a support pole as its “trunk,” containing three mounted antenna sectors holding a total of 12 antenna panels, nine remote radio units (RRUs), and a single microwave antenna, all located between 45 and 62 feet above finished ground. Faux branches would extend outward to conceal the equipment. All antennas would be painted green and covered with textured "pine needle socks" intended to blend with the foliage.
A condition of approval has been included requiring that the screening elements be maintained in good condition, with any faded or failing elements replaced at the City’s direction and discretion.
The monopine complies with the minimum setbacks prescribed by the Park zone, as summarized in Table 1 below.
Table 1 – Park Zone Development Standards (CMC Chapter 17.61) Development Standard Required Proposed Complies?
Front Setback (Kellogg) 50 Feet 421 Feet Yes
Interior Side Setback (East P/L) 30 Feet 161 Feet Yes
Interior Side Setback (West P/L) 30 Feet 60 Feet Yes
Rear Setback (North P/L) 50 Feet 562 Feet Yes
Building Height 35 Feet 65 Feet Yes, with
CUP
Access to the site is via Kellogg Avenue. A Verizon service technician is expected to visit the site periodically throughout the year for routine maintenance and will use one to two parking spaces in the park's parking lot. Therefore, the proposed project is not anticipated to impact the surrounding roadways nor traffic.
Parks and Recreation Commission
The project was also reviewed by the Parks and Recreation Commission at its meeting on May 12, 2026. The Commission raised no concerns regarding the monopine’s proposed location or design.
Alternative Site Analysis
The applicant evaluated the feasibility of the monopine being placed at other nearby sites.
However, alternate locations were not optimal, given the nearest Verizon facility, located one-half mile away from the proposed location, would not be able to provide the necessary coverage for the target area. The City prohibits telecommunications facilities within residentially zoned properties with developed residential dwellings, and there is no commercially zoned land within Verizon’s large service area. Therefore, Kellogg Park is the only feasible location for this installation.
Regulations Governing Telecommunications Facilities
Wireless telecommunications facilities are regulated by federal, state, and local laws.
While the City may regulate location, design, and aesthetics, federal law prohibits the denial of a compliant facility based on health concerns about Radio Frequency (RF) emissions. The project's RF Emission Compliance Report demonstrates compliance with applicable Federal Communications Commission’s exposure standards, and RF warning signage will be installed for maintenance personnel.
The proposed monopine is a stealth structure designed as a faux tree, consistent with the City’s adopted Location, Development, and Design Guidelines and Standards for Telecommunications Facilities. The project complies with applicable standards, including setback requirements prescribed by the Corona Municipal Code (CMC) and federal RF regulations, and is not expected to generate significant traffic impacts on surrounding roadways.
FINANCIAL IMPACT:
The applicant paid the application processing fees of $9,352.14 to cover the cost of the Conditional Use Permit.
ENVIRONMENTAL ANALYSIS:
Per Section 15303 of the State Guidelines for Implementing the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) and Section 3.38 of the City’s Local CEQA Guidelines, a Notice of Exemption has been prepared as the project qualifies as a Class 3 (New Construction or Conversion of Small Structures) categorical exemption in that it proposes a structure (a new cell tower and accessory equipment) that would be permissible to the existing, primary use of the lot as a public park. Moreover, none of the six exceptions to exemptions cited in Guidelines Section 15300.2 (a–f) are applicable to the proposed project.
PLANNING AND HOUSING COMMISSION ACTION:
At the July 6, 2026 meeting, the Planning and Housing Commission considered the subject matter and took the following action:
Motion was made, seconded (Longwell/Vernon), and carried unanimously, with Vice Chair Siqueland and Commissioner Woody absent, that the Planning and Housing Commission find the project exempt from CEQA pursuant to CEQA Guidelines Section 15061(b)(3) and adopt Resolution No. 2691 granting CUP2025-0003, based on the findings contained in the staff report and conditions of approval. The minutes of the Planning and Housing Commission meeting are included as Exhibit 4.
PREPARED BY: BRENDAN DALDE, ASSOCIATE PLANNER
REVIEWED BY: SANDRA VANIAN, PLANNING MANAGER
SUBMITTED BY: DANNY CASTRO, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR ATTACHMENTS:
1. Exhibit 1 – Locational and Zoning Map
2. Exhibit 2 – Site Plan
3. Exhibit 3 – Planning and Housing Commission Staff Report
4. Exhibit 4 – Minutes of the July 6, 2026, Planning & Housing Commission Meeting
5. Exhibit 5 – Public Correspondence (Received July 29, 2026 following the July 6, 2026 Planning and Housing Commission Hearing)