EXHIBIT A PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT V2.1.PDF

November 18, 2019
Exhibit A
PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT
Harquahala - Maricopa County Public Safety Communications Site Upgrade
1. Purpose and Need of the Facilities
This Plan of Development (POD) describes the procedures proposed by Maricopa County for the
construction of a new Public Safety communications facility co-located with the existing Central
Arizona Project (CAP) communications facility on Harquahala Mountain in Harquahala, La Paz County,
Arizona. Maricopa County has identified the need to upgrade their existing critical communications
systems infrastructure for Public Safety. Key to this upgrade is the construction of a new
communications facility at this location to house the County’s communications system and related
support equipment.
Alternate routes and potential site locations were evaluated during the selection of the project area,
taking into consideration accessibility and potential environmental impact. The utilization of the
existing access roads and trails, as well as the pre-existing communications facility, will reduce the
level of disturbance. The alternate routes and proposed site locations previously under consideration
were abandoned in hopes of utilizing the pre-disturbed land that currently consists of an existing
communications facility and associated access road. The County’s equipment would be co-located
within the existing CAP’s communications facility under a sublease agreement between CAP and
Maricopa County.
The project area consists of an approx. 110 × 80–foot area that is contained within the existing CAP
facility. The proposal includes the installation of new solar panels with solar racking to replace the
existing photovoltaic system. The existing CAP ±40 feet four-legged self-support tower will be
remediated and utilized to install the County's antennas. The existing outdoor generator and CMU
block wall will be removed from the site. A new 70kW AC generator will be set on the existing concrete
pad. In addition to the two existing 500-gallon propane tanks, a new 500-gallon propane tank will be
added on an existing concrete pad. The existing CAP equipment building will be utilized to
accommodate the County's equipment. The existing prefabricated shelter and foundation will be
removed to clear space on the site. The materials required for the site construction will be transported
by vehicle using the existing dirt access road. Depending on road conditions, a helicopter may be used
to transport the batteries and the communications equipment to the site. The construction area will
be contained within the existing facility boundaries. The duration of construction is expected to be
approximately 75 days.
2. Right-of-Way Location
The site consists of an approx. 110 × 80–foot area that overlaps the existing CAP communications
facility on Harquahala Mountain at ±5,674.8 feet AMSL in Harquahala, La Paz County, Arizona.
The existing communications facility is built on a parcel owned by the Bureau of Land Management
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with a BLM Right-of-Way granted to the Bureau of Reclamation. According to the BLM Land Status
Record Master Title Plat 29182 and BLM ROW GRANT AZA-010939, the Bureau of Reclamation
received a ROW grant for the purpose of building a communications site on December 13, 1982. In
1983, the Central Arizona Project (CAP) constructed a modern radio transmission and gauging facility
on the summit, as part of its management of the canal that runs hundreds of miles long, starting from
the Colorado River toward Phoenix and Tucson. The Property has been utilized as a communications
facility since that time. The site is accessible by vehicle using the existing dirt access road, or by
helicopter. A copy of the engineering design drawings, including a topographic survey of the site, is
attached as Exhibit A.
3. Facility Design Factors
The following table represents the design characteristics to be adhered to during construction.
Table 1. Design Characteristics
Design Characteristics
Shelter Type Existing CAP Concrete Equipment Building
Shelter Dimensions 54-4’x 14-2’
Fence Length Existing fence ~353 linear ft
Fence Area ~7600 sq. ft.
Fence Type Existing chain link fence with barbed wire
Tower Type Existing 4-leg self-support tower to be remediated
Tower Height ±40 ft
Utility Type No electrical power utility
Electrical Power Type Solar Power System with backup AC Generator
Power Plant Size 101’ x 26’ replacing existing solar panel arrays
Generator Type Liquid Propane
Generator Size 70 kW
Fuel Storage Type Liquid Propane tanks
Fuel Storage Size 3 x 500-gallon (1 new, 2 existing)
Number of Ground Rods ~9
Enclosure Access Existing driveway
4. Additional Components
The facility will include the following additional components:
• a new solar panel array and solar racking structure that will replace the two existing solar
array structures
• a new 70kW generator that will replace the existing 35kW generator
• one additional 500-gallon propane tank to be installed on an existing concrete slab
• new underground conduits for power run from the power plant to the existing equipment
shelter
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• new grounding for propane tanks and generator to be bonded to the existing tower and
building ground rings
5. Government Agencies Involved
• Federal Communication Commission (FCC)
• U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Land Management (BLM), Phoenix District Office,
Hassayampa Field Office
• Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
6. Construction of the Facilities
Motorola Solutions, Inc. will be performing the construction of the new communications facility for
Maricopa County in accordance to the plans submitted to the BLM for approval. A copy of the site
design drawings is attached as Exhibit A. Equipment to be used during the construction of the new
communications facility will include the following:
• 500 gallon water trailer
• Excavator
• Lowell or reach fork
• Compactors
• Hand and power tools
• Crew vehicles
• Trailers
Construction will commence within 2 weeks of receiving the NTP and approval from the BLM. The
construction on the new communications facility will last for an estimated 10 weeks.
Construction of the new communications facility will generally proceed as follows:
• Mobilization of excavation equipment to site
• Removal of existing prefabricated shelter and foundation
• Removal of existing generator and CMU wall
• Construction staking
• Excavation and placement of new foundations for solar array structure
• Excavation and placement of electrical conduits and site grounding
• Offload and set generator and LP tank
• Demolition and removal of the existing solar panel structures
• Construction of the new solar array structure
• Placement of solar panels on the new solar array structure
• Retrofit the existing tower
• Install antenna and line including MW
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The new generator and LP tank will be installed to provide electrical power to the existing equipment
while the solar panel plant is being replaced. Once the existing solar panel structures are removed,
excavation will commence on the new solar structure foundations. After the foundations are installed
and backfilled, trenches will be excavated for the site’s grounding and electrical conduits. Leads will
be placed around each major component and tied to all ancillary site components and to the existing
tower and shelter ground rings, providing a single grounding system for the entire site. After the new
solar structure has been installed, the solar panels will be installed and connected to the equipment
building by power cables in underground conduits. The final step will consists of offloading and
installing equipment and batteries inside CAP’s existing shelter. A helicopter may be used to transport
the batteries and the communications equipment to the site.
7. Resource Values and Environmental Concerns
A. Location with regards to designated corridors
The project area is contained within the existing CAP facility boundaries. The property
surroundings to the north include mountainous desert land. Surroundings to the east include an
access road followed by mountainous desert land. Surroundings to the south include an access
road followed by a communication facility then mountainous desert land intersected by an access
road. Surroundings to the west include an access road followed by mountainous desert land. The
facility is located outside of the Harquahala Mountains Wilderness boundaries and therefore is
not located within a designated wilderness area or wildlife preserve. All of the proposed
construction footprint is to take place within the confines of the existing communications facility
and has been previously disturbed. Therefore, special status species and/or critical habitats are
unlikely to impact or be impacted by the proposed project due to the existing development on
and within the vicinity of the project area. With the planned area of work already disturbed,
minimal amounts of organic debris is anticipated. Any spoils from the clearing process will be
removed from the site.
B. Air Quality
The following mitigation measures were developed to reduce, avoid, and/or compensate for the
potential impacts the proposed activities may cause. Mitigation measures will be implemented
during construction and post construction.
• Dust generated during construction will be controlled by watering.
• Vehicles accessing the site for construction purposes will be properly maintained and
regularly inspected.
C. Heritage Resources
The project area itself is not listed as a historic site. One site, The Harquahala Peak Observatory,
AZ S:3:1(ASM), is approximately 300 feet south of the communication facilities. The Harquahala
Peak Observatory is an NRHP-listed site and due to the previously constructed communications
compound and planned work remaining inside of that existing compound, a No Adverse Effect
on Historic Properties finding has been recommended by the Cultural Resource Survey.
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D. Hazardous Materials
• All fueling of equipment will be done on impermeable fabric, and no fueling will be done
within 100 feet of a watercourse or channel.
• Maricopa County will require all employees to adhere to Best Management Practice
guidelines, and all waste and spills generated on site will be disposed of in accordance with
state and federal regulations.
• Only emergency equipment maintenance will be performed at construction locations.
• Routine equipment maintenance will normally be conducted at offsite facilities.
E. Noise
• Construction machinery and equipment will be well maintained.
• Equipment on-site will be limited to the minimum necessary to complete construction in an
effort to mitigate construction noise.
F. Soils, Hydrology and Watershed
• The property is outside of the high‐risk zones and floodplains are unlikely to affect the
proposed project. According to the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), Flood
Insurance Map for Maricopa County, Arizona, and Incorporated Areas (Firm Panel
#04012C1200C), this site is located in Flood Zone X (unshaded), which designates an area of
0.2-percent-annual-chance flood minimal risk area outside of the 1-percent and 0.2-percent-
annual-chance floodplains. No base flood depths are shown within these zones. The Flood
Zone X (unshaded) indicates that the site is located within a 500-year floodplain, meaning that
the flood elevation has a 0.2‐percent chance of being equaled or exceeded in any given year.
It is believed that during a time of excess flooding, water will not collect and stand in the
project area, but rather flow down gradient to the east-southeast.
• During construction, Storm Water Pollution Prevention (SWPP) will be placed to control any
soils runoff during rain. This SWPP will remain in place until the site construction is completed.
G. Vegetation
• No protected species were found in the construction area. Any vegetation that may be
removed is classified as invasive.
H. Visual Quality
• All excavation spoils not able to be utilized on site will be removed from BLM lands.
• Rock excavation powder will be washed from the ground surface using water.
I. Wildlife
The project is not expected to have a negative impact on wildlife species within the project
vicinity. None of the listed threatened or endangered species appear to be located within a 1-
mile radius of the site. The special status species and/or critical habitats listed are unlikely to
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impact or be impacted by the proposed project due to the existing development on the
property.
8. Stabilization and Rehabilitation
• Soil and vegetation removed within the project area will be removed from the site as debris.
• Access to construction sites will be by existing roads.
• All construction vehicles shall be washed prior to entering BLM areas to avoid introducing
more weeds.
• Drivers will be instructed to avoid patches of weeds any time tires leave a paved surface, to
avoid the spread of invasive weeds.
9. Operation and Maintenance
• All trash and food items shall be contained in closed containers and removed daily.
• Solid waste will be contained and will be removed, at a minimum, weekly.
• All Operations and Maintenance activities will be performed in accordance with the
requirements of all applicable laws, regulations and codes, particularly OSHA Regulations.
• Depending on road conditions, a helicopter may be used to transport the batteries and the
communications equipment to the site. If a helicopter is utilized, the flight route will be
coordinated with the FAA.
• Maricopa County and their prime contractor, Motorola Solutions, Inc., will implement fire
prevention guidelines recommended by the National Wildfire Coordinating Group publication
PMS462, "Industrial Operations Fire Prevention Guide" (attached as Exhibit B).
• Maricopa County and their prime contractor, Motorola Solutions, Inc., will ensure that
vehicles and equipment used during construction are properly maintained and regularly
inspected.
• A work force of about 6 people on the average will be working at the site during construction.
2-3 vehicles will be required for transportation of the crew to and from the site. Typical
working hours are 07:00 to 16:00.
10. Termination and Restoration
Maricopa County will maintain the interior of the compound according to its existing management
practices after the completion of the project.
Attachments
A – HARQ Lease Exhibit CD Rev.5 12-8-17
B – National Wildfire Coordinating Group publication PMS462, “Industrial Operations Fire
Prevention Guide”
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