(A) Except as otherwise provided in this subchapter, no telecommunication tower shall be erected, constructed, placed, enlarged, moved, used, maintained, or altered unless a Special Use Permit has been approved by the Board of Adjustment and a tower permit has been obtained from the Zoning Administrator. No tower permit shall be issued that is not in compliance with this subchapter. No building permit shall be issued for any tower that falls under the provisions of this subchapter unless that tower has received a tower permit.
(B) Non-commercial, individual use towers that are twenty feet in height or less shall require a zoning permit issued by the Zoning Administrator in lieu or for Special Use Permit.
(C) Existing towers owned by governmental agencies and designed for noncommercial emergency communications may be replaced with a tower equal in height (or shorter) to the replaced tower. All other subchapter provisions are applicable.
(D) All applications for tower permits shall be submitted to the Zoning Administrator on the designated form. At a minimum, the application shall include the following information:
(1) Name, address and telephone number of the applicant.
(2) Street address, parcel number and/or legal description of the premises or property upon which the tower is to be located.
(3) Written statement from the property owner of the proposed tower site authorizing the placement of the tower on the property.
(4) A site development plan prepared by a North Carolina Registered Land Surveyor and containing the following information:
(a) Title block containing the tower owner's name, the property owner's name, and their addresses; scale; north arrow; vicinity map; tax parcel identification number(s); and the tower's latitude and longitude coordinates;
(b) The name, address, signature and seal of the surveyor preparing the site development plan;
(c) The surveyed boundary lines of the parcel(s) that will contain the proposed tower and its fall area land contours;
(d) The name, address, and tax parcel identification numbers of all owners of property abutting the subject property; and existing land uses surrounding the site;
(e) All structures located on the parcel, all existing and proposed roads and parking areas; and overhead utilities and utility connections within and to the proposed site;
(f) All existing towers on the property or any towers whose fall area onto the property;
(g) The proposed tower's location, the proposed fall area, and the location of all support structures and guy line anchors;
(h) The location of all support structures any guy line anchors;
(i) The ground elevation of the proposed tower's base based on mean sea level as provided through FEMA control points or another similar source;
(j) The height of the vegetative canopy at the site.
(5) A preliminary tower design plan prepared by a North Carolina registered Professional Engineer and containing the following information:
(a) The tower owner’s name and address, scale, north arrow, vicinity map, and tax parcel identification number;
(b) The name, address, signature and seal of the engineer preparing the tower design plan;
(c) Information describing the tower height and design; a cross-section of the structure; engineering specifications detailing the construction of the tower, the base of the tower; the foundations for all guy line anchors, and support structures;
(d) A tower elevation showing the proposed painting and lighting schemes and all proposed antennas, information describing the tower’s capacity, including the number and type of antennas that it can accommodate;
(e) An elevation of each proposed set of guy line anchors;
(f) The proposed tower design leads;
(g) Designed fall zone for tower structure. (Note: All towers shall be set back from any surrounding property lines, public roads, or public utilities (such as power lines or phone lines other than those solely related to the telecommunication tower itself) by a distance that is equal to the height of the tower.)
(6) Exterior lighting specifications.
(7) Detailed landscaping plan.
(8) A listing of the inventory of the applicant’s existing towers within the town and within a mile of the town’s limits, including specific information about the location, height, and design of each tower.
(9) A map or description of the service area(s) for the proposed tower’s antenna(s). The applicant shall identify other possible alternatives within the service area for the proposed tower’s antenna(s) and explain why the proposed tower is necessary and why existing towers and structures cannot accommodate the proposed antenna(s).
(10) The applicant must present evidence of fee simple ownership or a recorded leasehold interest from the record owners of all property within a radius equal to the height of the tower. Any lease agreement must allow the leaseholder to enter into leases with other providers. Any lease agreement must specify that if the applicant provider fails to remove the tower upon 180 days of its discontinued use, the responsibility for removal shall fall upon the landowner.
(11) The applicant shall identify any requested variances to the standards contained in this subchapter, the reasons for seeking the variances, and any measures that are proposed to mitigate the possible adverse effects of the proposed variances.
(12) The application must be accompanied by payment of a non-refundable processing fee.
(1989 Code, Title V, Ch. 51, Art. XX, § 2004) (Ord. passed 4-14-1998; Ord. 2012-04, passed 5-8-2012; Ord. 2021-03, passed 6-8-2021)