Title
Orland Park Police Department Backup Dispatch Center Wireless Communication Facility
History
**See attached staff report to the Plan Commission attachment due to formatting issues.
Project: 2025-0667 - Orland Park Police Department Backup Dispatch Center Wireless Communication Facility
Planner: Marcus LeVigne
Petitioner: Orland Joint Emergency Telephone System Board
Project Representative: Richard Dalzell, Orland Park Police Department
Location: 10609 163rd Place
Requested Actions: Approval of a Special Use Permit for a Wireless Communication Facility.
BACKGROUND
The Police Department Firing Range and Emergency Operations Center was approved by the Village Board in 2024 (Case Number 2023-0508) and completed in 2025. The project included construction of a new 15,400-square-foot building that contains a training facility, emergency operations center (EOC), Emergency Services and Disaster Agency (ESDA), and a secured vehicle impound lot.
COMPREHENSIVE PLAN & SURROUNDING CONTEXT
The Village’s Comprehensive Plan designates the site as part of the Centennial Planning District and recommends that the Beemsterboer Industrial Park remain with a Manufacturing-Employment Emphasis land use designation. Permitted land uses within this designation range from light manufacturing and assembly to research and development. The existing firing range and EOC are consistent with the surrounding context in the area and are permitted land uses within the MFG - Manufacturing Zoning District.
Location
Per Section 6-311.G.3.d of the LDC, new wireless communication facilities must be located at least 500 feet from the nearest residential building. The proposed tower exceeds this requirement, as it is located more than 1,200 feet from the nearest residential property. The proposed tower would be located in the west parking lot of the facility, which is a fenced and secure area used for vehicles seized by the Police Department.
Height
The LDC permits a maximum tower height of 100 feet unless co-located with other providers, in which case the maximum is 150 feet. The proposed tower height is 80 feet and will not be co-located.
Tower Design
The proposed tower is a lattice-style tower, consistent with other existing Village wireless communication facilities, including those operated by the Orland Park Police Department and Fire Protection District. The tapered triangular design and neutral color minimize visual impact from surrounding properties. The top of the tower will hold antennas shown on the attached specification sheets. The tower base and all associated ground equipment will be screened with the existing fence on site.
Visual Screening and Buffering
An existing fence at the vehicle impound lot screens the base of the tower from both the street and nearby properties. Along with the fencing and landscaping surrounding the tower base, these features help reduce visual impact and maintain compatibility with the surrounding area.
When considering an application for a special use permit, the decision-making body shall consider the Findings of Fact below. The Petitioner responses are attached to this report.
1. The special use will be consistent with the purposes, goals, objectives and standards of the Comprehensive Plan, any adopted overlay plan, and these regulations.
2. The special use will be consistent with the community character of the immediate vicinity of the parcel proposed for development.
3. The design of the proposed use will minimize adverse effects, including visual impacts on adjacent properties.
4. The proposed use will [not] have an adverse effect on the value of adjacent property.
5. The applicant has demonstrated that public facilities and services will be capable of serving the special use at an adequate level of service.
6. The applicant has made adequate legal provision to guarantee the provision and development of any open space and other improvements associated with the proposed development.
7. The development will [not] adversely affect a known archaeological, historical, or cultural resource.
8. The proposed use will comply with all additional standards imposed on it by the particular provision of these regulations authorizing such use and by all other applicable requirements of the ordinances of the Village.
Regarding Case Number 2025-0667, also known as Orland Park Police Department Backup Dispatch Center Wireless Communication Facility, staff recommends to accept and make findings of fact as discussed as this Plan Commission meeting and within the Staff Report dated September 17, 2025.
And
Staff Recommends that the Plan Commission approves a Special Use Permit for a Wireless Communication Facility at 10609 163rd Place, subject to the following conditions:
1. The petitioner shall develop the subject property in substantial conformance with the final Village-approved special use permits, site plan, and building elevations.
2. All ground-based mechanical equipment must be screened from view from the right-of-way and from outside of the vehicle seizure lot fence.
3. Final engineering, including structural engineering, must be approved prior to issuance of permits.
4. All building code requirements must be met, including required permits from outside agencies.
Recommended Action/Motion
Regarding Case Number 2025-0667, also known as Orland Park Police Department Backup Dispatch Center Wireless Communication Facility, I move to approve the Staff Recommended Action as presented in the Staff Report to the Plan Commission for this case.