Sanders Ranch Wireless Facility

Location: Open space property within the Sanders Ranch Subdivision (APN: 258-300-019) in the southeastern portion of Moraga

Status: Under review. Planning Commission Meeting Tentatively Schedules for October 3, 2023. A mitigated negative declaration has been prepared for the project, which is available at this link, and on the project page.

CEQA:

Notice of Intent: Sanders Ranch Wireless Facility Notice of Intent (PDF)

Draft Initial Study / Mitigated Negative Declaration: Sanders Ranch Mitigated Negative Declaration with Appendices (PDF)

Project Description: The proposed project would involve the installation of six panel antennas on a 12-foot high “top hat” extension that would be located on top of an existing PG&E transmission tower. The tower with the “top hat” extension would extend the existing 107.3-foot tower to reach a total height of approximately 116 feet. Also installed on the tower would be three 6449 antenna integrated radio (air) antennas with a centerline height of 45 feet along with six Verizon Wireless radios, two Verizon Wireless Raycap, a microwave antenna with a centerline height of 35 feet, and two hybrid wireless cables. An equipment enclosure consisting of a 19-foot by 19-foot concrete pad with 8-foot-tall composite fencing would enclose the facilities’ ground equipment, including an emergency generator, within the base of the PG&E transmission tower. A new transformer would be located on a 4-foot 2-inch by 4-foot 4-inch pad approximately 9 feet west of the equipment enclosure pad along with a 3,000-gallon water tank. The project would be supplied electricity by PG&E. The proposed diesel generator for the project would be rated below 50 brake-horsepower and would operate under two hours per day for occasional maintenance activities. The project would comply with applicable California Green Building Standards, including installation of energy-efficient equipment and lighting. Additionally, the proposed project would include the installation of new Verizon Wireless fiber vaults every 150 feet along Sanders Ranch Road and installation of a new fiber route for approximately 8,600 feet through existing in-road conduits. This work would replace existing Verizon Wireless fiber vaults and fiber routes beneath Sanders Ranch Road.

To provide access to the facility for construction and maintenance, a new 15-foot-wide access driveway constructed of Class II aggregate base would be graded and built approximately 155 feet northwest from near the end of Sanders Ranch Road to the existing PG&E transmission tower to be modified. The new road would be built on some portions of slopes exceeding 20 percent, roughly following the alignment of a portion of Old Moraga Ranch Trail for approximately 630 feet, and would also cross a Moraga Open Space Ordinance minor ridgeline. 

Construction would occur over approximately four months. Grading activities would primarily occur along the proposed new road alignment and through a portion of a MOSO minor ridgeline. The total proposed grading for the project would be approximately 350 cubic yards of cut and 530 cubic yards of fill, totaling approximately 1,020 cubic yards of grading activities. The maximum cut depth would be approximately 3.6 feet and the maximum fill height would be approximately 4 feet. The total disturbed area of the site would be approximately 0.75 acres.