PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT - BRONCO BUTTE V3 (3).DOCX

PLAN OF DEVELOPMENT
BRONCO BUTTE - Maricopa County Public Safety Communications Site Upgrade
I. Introduction
Maricopa County has identified the need for an upgrade to their existing critical communications
systems infrastructure. Key to this upgrade is the construction of a new communications shelter
and additional work on the existing towers at Bronco Butte.
This Plan of Development (POD) describes the procedures proposed by Maricopa County for
construction of an upgraded Public Safety communications facility located at Bronco Butte, near
Apache Lake, approximately 35 air miles Northeast from Mesa, Arizona. The location of the
project is Township 3 North, Range 10 East, Section 36, the southeast quarter. The first lease
granted to the county was in 1994 and had a 5 year term (expired 1999). In 1999 the lease was
renewed for 5 more years (expired 2004).
In 1999 the county also entered into an IGA to allow the Forest Service space on Thompson
Peak and on the county’s Bronco Butte shelter for installation of a radio repeater. The IGA can
be renewed as long and the communication lease with TNF is renewed. On 11/1/2002 the lease
was renewed for ten years. This lease expired 12/31/2012 and has not been renewed.
A. General Description
Maricopa County is planning a Public Safety P25 Radio System Infrastructure Upgrade project
at the radio tower facility on Bronco Butte, located at Northing 3712937.2, Easting 474441.9
(UTM Zone 12N; NAD 83), Maricopa County, Arizona (Figure 1). The project is located on
Tonto National Forest (TNF) lands. Motorola Solutions, Inc. is the prime contractor. The land is
administered by the Tonto Basin Ranger District. The proposal includes the installation of
antennas on the existing Maricopa County 30-foot tall self-support tower, an antenna on the
nearby tower operated by the Arizona Department of Public Safety (AZDPS), and the utilization
of the existing 10-foot by 14-foot County shelter. A new 16-foot by 18.5-foot build-in-place
shelter will also be installed to house the new battery banks and photovoltaic system
components. New solar panels and array racks are proposed to be installed. The existing County
shelter will have the existing battery banks and photovoltaic system components removed. Three
new direct-current (DC) powered, wall mounted, heating, ventilation, and air conditioning
(HVAC) units will be installed on the existing County shelter. A new 25kW emergency
generator and four 50-gallon propane tanks will be installed to provide backup power for the
County site. A cable bridge, approximately three feet in height, will be constructed between the
existing County shelter and the existing AZDPS tower to protect the antenna line that will be
run.

Access to the site is by helicopter only and no access improvements or road construction is
planned as part of this SOW. Please see Exhibit C for details of helicopter operations.
II. Vegetation Treatments
A. Vegetation Description
The project area is located at the convergence of the Arizona Upland subdivision of the Sonoran
Desert scrub and the Semidesert Grassland biotic communities as described by Brown (1994).
According to the US Geological Survey’s Southwest Regional GAP Land Cover, the project area
is composed of the Apacherian-Chihuahuan Mesquite Upland Scrub and Mogollon Chaparral
vegetation types. The project area contains species associated both with grassland and chaparral
communities. The project vicinity is dominated by a variety of perennial bunch-grasses including
plains lovegrass (Eragrostis intermedia), cane bluestem (Bothriochloa barbinodis), sideoats
grama (Bouteloua curtipendula), and bullgrass (Muhlenbergia emersleyi). Grasses are
interspersed with a variety of succulents, predominantly buckhorn cholla (Cylindropuntia
acanthocarpa), prickly-pear (Opuntia sp.), common sotol (Dasylirion wheeleri), Palmer’s
century plant (Agave palmeri), and beargrass (Nolina microcarpa), and shrubs such as Sonoran
scrub oak (Quercus turbinella), broom snakeweed (Gutierrezia sarothrae), turpentine bush
(Ericameria laricifolia), and bastardsage (Eriogonum wrightii). The project limits themselves are
mostly disturbed but do contain native vegetation as described above. The project area elevation
is approximately 4,260 feet above mean sea level (amsl) and is located at the existing radio tower
facility atop Bronco Butte in the Superstition Mountains.
B. Clearing Prior to Construction
Any vegetation within the proposed grading area will be grubbed as part of the construction
process. With the planned area of work already disturbed, minimal amounts of organic debris is
anticipated. Spoils from the clearing process will be removed from the site.
C. Routine Vegetation Maintenance
Maricopa County will maintain the site according to its existing vegetation management
practices after the completion of the project.
III. Construction of Facilities
Motorola Solutions, Inc. will be performing the construction of the new communications facility
for Maricopa County in accordance to the plans submitted to TNF for approval. A copy of the
plans is attached as Exhibit A.
A. Equipment

Equipment to be used during the construction of the new communications facility will include
the following:
 Helicopter (please see Exhibit C for details of helicopter operations)
 Augers for fence posts
 Hand and power tools
 Concrete Mixer
 Welder
B. Design Characteristics
The following table represents the design characteristics to be adhered to during construction.
Table 1. Design Characteristics
Design Characteristics
Enclosure type n/a
Enclosure Dimensions n/a
Fence Length n/a
Fence Area n/a
Enclosure type n/a
4-legged Self Supporting (existing County)
Tower type 3-legged Self Supporting (existing AZDPS)
Tower Height 30’ (existing County), 72’ (existing AZDPS)
Shelter Type Build in Place (new and existing)
Shelter Dimensions 11'-8" x 20' (new) 10’ x 14’ (existing)
Generator Type Liquid Propane
Generator Size 25 kW
Fuel Storage Type Liquid Propane tank
Fuel Storage size (4) 50 gallon
Number of Ground rods 16
Utility type n/a
Enclosure access n/a
IV. Construction Sequencing and Timing
Construction will commence in early Fall 2016 (after receiving the NTP and approval from
TNF). It is not desirable to start construction in the summer months due to the large number of
people visiting Apache Lake, and to high air temperatures reducing the ability of a helicopter to
safely lift construction materials and personnel to the site. The construction on the new
communications facility will last for an estimated 8-12 weeks.
V. Construction Methodology

Construction of the new communications facility will generally proceed as follows:
 Mobilization of excavation equipment to site
 Establish rough grade
 Construction staking for major components
 Excavation and placement of shelter, generator and LP tank foundations
 Excavation and placement of site grounding
 Construct shelter, set generator and LP tank
 Install antenna and line including MW
The general site clear and grub include the setting of the site rough grade, as well as establishing
the control points necessary to accurately locate new solar arrays and shelter locations.
Once the site is construction staked, excavation will commence on the solar arrays, shelter,
generator and LP tank foundations. After the foundations are installed and backfilled, excavation
will begin for the site’s grounding. A ground ring and leads will be placed around each major
component and tied to all ancillary site components, providing a single grounding system for the
entire site.
After the grounding system subgrade components have been installed, the construction of the
shelter, generator pad and solar arrays will also occur.
Please see Exhibit C for details of the proposed helicopter operations.
VI. Mitigation Actions – Resource Concerns
The following mitigation measures were developed to reduce, avoid, and/or compensate for the
potential impacts the proposed activities may cause. Mitigation measures would be implemented
during construction and post construction.
A. Air Quality
 Dust generated during construction will be controlled by watering.
 Vehicles accessing the site for construction purposes will be properly maintained and
regularly inspected.
B. Heritage Resources
A Class III cultural resource survey was performed ("A Class III Cultural Resource Survey for a
Proposed Maricopa County Wireless Systems Public Safety P25 Radio System Infrastructure
Upgrade at the Telecommunications Tower on Bronco Butte Maricopa County, Arizona,"
prepared for Patriot Towers by Archaeological Consulting Services, Ltd. (“ACS”) – ACS Project
No. 14 - 020, dated May 13, 2014 (the “ACS Survey") and provided to TNF. No cultural
resources were identified during the current ACS survey. As a result, ACS recommends a

finding of no historic properties affected within the direct APE. No cultural resources are
located within the visual APE. ACS recommends a finding of no historic properties affected for
the project.
C. Hazardous Materials
 Maricopa County will ensure that vehicles and equipment used during construction are
properly maintained and regularly inspected.
 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 site locations.
Routine equipment maintenance will normally be conducted at offsite facilities.
D. Noise
 Construction machinery and equipment will be well maintained.
 Limit equipment on-site to the minimum necessary to complete construction.
E. Soils, Hydrology and Watershed
 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.
F. Vegetation
 No protected species were found in the construction area. Vegetation to be removed is
classified as invasive.
 Soil and vegetation removed within the project area will be removed from the site as
debris.
 Access to construction sites will be by helicopter.
 All construction vehicles shall be washed prior to entering the forest 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.
G. Visual Quality
 All excavation spoils not able to be utilized on site will be removed from TNF lands.
 Rock excavation powder will be washed from the ground surface using water.

H. Wildlife
 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.
VII. Industrial Fire Plan Guidelines
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 Appendix B).
Exhibits
Exhibit A – Bronco Butte Communications Facility Site Plan
Exhibit B - National Wildfire Coordinating Group publication PMS462, "Industrial Operations
Fire Prevention Guide"
Exhibit C – Bronco Butte Helicopter Operations