The San Clemente zoning administrator on Oct. 9 approved American Tower’s application to replace an existing 70‑foot lattice telecommunications tower with a new 120‑foot monopole at an open‑space site along the Ridgeline Trail in Rancho San Clemente, adopting the CEQA analysis and findings in staff reports and a resolution (ZA 25‑024) approving public hearing project 25‑361.

Jonathan Lightfoot (staff presenter) reviewed the site’s history: the original telecommunications use was permitted by Orange County in 1962, the structure has changed over time, and the existing lattice tower had been reduced to 70 feet in 2023. Lightfoot summarized a 2024 settlement agreement among American Tower, the City and the Harborview Estates homeowners association that addressed security, lighting, cameras and erosion control; the settlement also called for American Tower to submit an application to replace the lattice tower with a monopole of up to 120 feet.

Emily Murray (Allen Matkins, counsel for American Tower) said American Tower disputes some historical assertions about the original height in the 1962 conditional use permit but that the company entered the settlement agreement and intends to honor it. Murray also noted the settlement agreement makes the city’s cooperation subject to the city’s discretionary authority and that the agreement provided a contingency allowing American Tower to decline to proceed if new conditions were imposed that American Tower deemed unsatisfactory.

Matamian and staff reviewed alternative stealth design ideas raised by the design review subcommittee (e.g., faux trees, flagpole/lighting disguises) and the applicant explained why some options were not practical at the proposed scale (structural, visibility and antenna‑placement limitations). Staff and the zoning administrator concluded a single‑pole monopole, though taller, would likely reduce visual mass compared with the wider lattice tower base and provide improved site security by being less climbable.

Matamian emphasized public safety and the history of trespass and vandalism at the site. He said a monopole would make the facility safer to secure and reduce nuisance activity without requiring highly intrusive mitigation at the site. Matamian also noted the Harborview Estates homeowners association submitted a letter stating it supports replacement of the lattice tower with a monopole and asked the council to find American Tower’s past and current use compliant with applicable laws.

After reviewing the record, public testimony and the design discussion, Matamian determined the project was categorically exempt under CEQA (classes 1, 2 and 3 referenced in the staff report) and adopted Resolution ZA 25‑024 approving the replacement monopole project. Matamian noted the 10‑day appeal period and that the City Council may call the item up before the minutes are filed.