The application was filed September 30, 2025 by Pinnacle Consulting on behalf of Verizon Wireless and Sun State Towers. Click any section below to download or open the PDF.
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Pinnacle Consulting
Application checklist & cover materials
- The County's Macro Wireless Facilities permit application form, UNSIGNED and UNCERTIFIED by the applicant.
- Cover sheets, exhibits, and supporting documentation organized by Pinnacle Consulting on Verizon's behalf.
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Lease Agreement
Site lease — landlord to Sun State Towers
- Lease between the property landlord and Sun State Towers (Verizon's tower-build partner) for the proposed 40 × 40 ft lease compound at 221 NM-165.
- Term, rent, and tower-development conditions; demonstrates the applicant's site control.
- Site identifier: NM01-148 SPIKE / ABQ Tierra Madre.
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RF Compliance Report
RF Compliance Report by Biwabkos Consultants (Sept 23, 2025)
- RF compliance analysis using a cylindrical near-field model (Richard Tell Associates methodology).
- Concludes that NIER (non-ionizing radiation) emissions at the site are within FCC-adopted thresholds.
- Internally references "Tenaya (CA700867)," uses RoofView (a California rooftop methodology), and refers to "ROOF Area" — language that does not match a New Mexico ground-mounted monopole.
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Development Narrative
Project description & site rationale
- The applicant's stated purpose: "enhance wireless coverage and increase network capacity in an area experiencing deficiencies or high traffic for Verizon."
- Describes the surrounding properties — residential to the south, west, and north; Homestead Plaza to the east.
- Brief alternatives narrative — a one-sentence wave: "Many other locations were reviewed but eliminated due to lack of property interest, ordinance limitations, and line of sight connectivity to surrounding sites."
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Noise Study
Equipment noise impact at the residential property line
- Measured ambient nighttime noise as low as the low 30s dBA between midnight and 5 AM.
- Projects equipment noise reaching ~30 dBA at the nearest residential property line — about 2.5 dB above the lowest nighttime ambient.
- Judges this "compliant" using a +5 dB industry rule of thumb, not the County's qualitative "shall not be apparent" standard.
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Structural Engineering
Tower design, foundation, and load calculations
- TIA-222 wind / ice load analysis, member capacity calculations, bolt and connection design.
- Foundation design based on a geotechnical report by Tower Engineering Professionals (Report No. 341545).
- Prepared by Vector Structural Engineering for site NM01-148 SPIKE; 259 pages of design criteria, calculations, and drawings. This file has been compressed for download; the original is ~224 MB.
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ASCE Hazards Report
Wind, seismic, snow, and rain hazard parameters
- ASCE/SEI 7-16 hazards summary at coordinates 35.0946 N, -106.49543 W. Risk Category III.
- Soil Class C (Very Dense), Elevation 5,504.7 ft (NAVD 83).
- Used as input parameters for the Structural Engineering Report.
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FCC Shot Clock
Federal time-pressure notice to the County
- One-page notice invoking the FCC "shot clock" — federal rule that compels local governments to act within a fixed period.
- Application Filing Date: 09/30/2025. Site Name: ABQ Tierra Madre / NM01-148 SPIKE.
- Section 6409 Eligible Facility Request marked N/A — confirming this is a new tower, not a modification subject to mandatory federal approval.
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Coverage Analysis
Biwabkos RF Design Analysis — coverage maps & objectives
- Defines "coverage" as "providing service where service does not exist, calls drop, or 'no service'" — and paints patches inside the search area accordingly. Residents' lived experience and independent drive-test data both contradict that picture (see Coverage).
- Lists "Offload surrounding sites in area" as one of the site's stated objectives — a Verizon-network purpose, not a Placitas-community benefit.
- Bounds the proposed-coverage area at I-25 to the west, the S curve on NM-165 to the east, the Placitas Open Space to the north, and the National Forest south of Placitas West to the south — with a working gravel pit (uninhabited) occupying a substantial portion inside.