A. Intent: These Standards Are Intended To:
1. Establish a clear, defined aesthetic standard for small cell antenna facility development throughout the city;
2. Establish a menu of design options;
3. Minimize unnecessary quantities of new poles by encouraging colocation of small cell facilities;
B. applicability:
1. These standards apply to all small cell antenna facilities for placement on City-owned and non-City-owned poles in the public right-of-way.
C. Applications And Permits Required:
1. A Land Use Permit is required as specified in 10-6-15.
D. Application Requirements:
1. Drawings: The applicant must submit fully dimensioned site plans, elevation drawings and structural calculations prepared, sealed, stamped and signed by a Professional Engineer licensed and registered by the State of Montana.
2. Drawings: must depict any existing wireless facilities, with all existing transmission equipment identified; other improvements; the proposed facility with all proposed transmission equipment and other improvements; and the boundaries of the area surrounding the proposed facility and any associated access or utility easements and setbacks.
3. Photo Simulations: For all applications, photo simulations from at least three reasonable line-of- sight locations near the proposed project site are required as an appendix to the application. The photo simulations must be taken from the viewpoints of the greatest pedestrian or vehicular traffic. The angle between the viewpoints of the photo simulations must be at least 90 degrees or greater and provide a full profile depiction.
4. Equipment Specifications: For all equipment depicted on the plans, the applicant must include:
a. The manufacturer’s name and model number;
b. Physical dimensions including, without limitation, height, width, depth, volume and weight with mounts and other necessary hardware; and
c. Technical rendering of all external components, including enclosures and all attachment hardware.
5. Standards for All Small Cell Antenna Facilities:
a. Location:
(1) Small cell antenna facilities may be attached to existing utility and/or light poles.
(2) Small cell antenna facilities may be installed as integrated components of new poles.
(3) A new pole is only permitted to be installed on the public right-of-way if more than 100 feet from any existing utility and/or light pole or as a replacement of an existing utility and/or light pole.
(4) The City desires and encourages co-locations between limited numbers of multiple separate wireless service providers on the same support structure whenever feasible. If the applicant chooses to not colocate when options appear available, demonstrative proof must be provided as to why co-location is not feasible.
b. Obstructions: Any new small cell antenna facility and other improvements associated with a new facility must not obstruct:
(1) Access to any aboveground or underground infrastructure for traffic control, streetlight or public transportation, including, without limitation, any curb control sign, parking meter, vehicular traffic sign or signal, pedestrian traffic sign or signal, or barricade reflectors;
(2) Access to any public transportation vehicles, shelters, street furniture or other improvements at any public transportation stop, including, without limitation, bus stops, streetcar stops, and bike share stations;
(3) Access to above-ground or underground infrastructure owned or operated by any public or private utility agency;
(4) Access to any fire hydrant;
(5) The flow of pedestrian traffic in regards to appropriate sidewalk spacing and applicable regulations of the Americans with Disabilities Act;
(6) Access to any doors, gates, sidewalk doors, passage doors, stoops or other ingress and egress points to any building appurtenant to the right-of-way; and/or
(7) Access to any fire escape.
c. Antenna: The antenna must be top-mounted and concealed within a radome that also conceals the cable connections, antenna mount, and other hardware. GPS antennas must be placed within the radome or directly above the radome not to exceed six inches. The radome or side-mounted antenna and GPS antenna must be non-reflective and painted or otherwise colored to match the existing pole.
d. Concealment: Applicants must conceal elements into the proposed design. Concealment will include approved camouflage or shrouding techniques.
e. Utility Lines: New service lines must be routed underground whenever possible to avoid additional overhead lines. For metal poles, undergrounded cables and wires must transition directly into the pole base without any external junction box.
f. Lights: Unless otherwise required for compliance with FAA or FCC regulations, the facility shall not include any permanently installed lights. Any lights associated with the electronic equipment shall be appropriately shielded from public view. This subsection is not meant to prohibit installations on poles also mounted by streetlights or installations of luminaires or additional street lighting on new poles when required by the City.
g. Generally Applicable Health and Safety Regulations: All facilities shall be designed, constructed, operated, and maintained in compliance with all generally applicable health and safety standards, regulations, and laws, including without limitation all applicable regulations for human exposure to electromagnetic emissions.
6. Standards for Small Cell Antennas Mounted on Existing Poles:
a. All equipment, other than the antenna(s), electric meter and disconnect switch, must be concealed within an equipment shroud not exceed 24 inches in diameter by 60 inches in height.
b. The equipment shroud must be installed no lower than 15 feet above ground level. The equipment shroud must be non-reflective and painted, wrapped, or otherwise colored to match the existing pole.
c. If mounted on the crown of an existing pole, new equipment may not cause an increase in the height of the existing pole of more than 5 feet.
d. It is preferred that equipment shrouds be mounted flush to the pole, subject to the pole owner’s approval. Standoff mounts are permitted for the equipment shroud but may not exceed 6 inches and must include metal flaps or wings to conceal the space between the shroud and the pole.
e. Cabling traversing the pole shall be covered using minimum 2 inches in diameter U-guard of steel or aluminum construction. Cabling entering and exiting the radio shroud must be adjacent to the pole.
7. Standards for Small Cell Antennas Mounted Within New and Replacement Poles:
a. Height:
(1) New and/or replacement poles may have groundmounted cabinets for small cell antenna equipment.
(2) New and/or replacement poles may have elevated equipment areas.
(3) New and/or replacement poles shall not exceed 115% of the height of the existing pole to be replaced, 100% of the height of adjacent existing poles, or 39 feet, whichever is least.
(4) Diameter: New and replacement poles may not exceed 24 inches in diameter.
(5) Poles:
(A) The provider shall purchase the new or replacement pole and shall be responsible for the maintenance of the pole during the period of occupancy by the service provider; ownership of the pole will be vested with the City.
(B) New and replacement poles must match adjacent poles in style and form (round, octagonal, fluted, tapered, etc).
(C) New and replacement poles must be constructed of aluminum or steel.
(D) New and replacement poles should be black in color, using Gloss Black #17038 per Federal Color Standard 595, unless another color and/or texture better imitates the existing pole.
(e) New and replacement poles must include blank connections (handholds and J-hooks) for City permitted uses, such as cameras, food truck connections, wi-fi, and wayfinding signage or banners. Smart poles are considered to be a suitable replacement for both ornamental and wood poles.
(5) Street Lighting:
(A) Where an existing pole includes a street lighting luminaire, the replacement pole must include a street lighting luminaire that matches the style of adjacent street lighting luminaires and is approved by the City.
(B) The replacement luminaire must direct light on the sidewalk and/or roadway, as appropriate, and not cause nuisance glare beyond the right-of-way.
(C) The lamp should be of a correlated color temperature, brightness, and lifespan approved by the City.
Table 10-3-61 | ||
Standards | Towers | Antennas |
Table 10-3-61 | ||
Standards | Towers | Antennas |
Zoning Districts Where Permitted | FE, ID, I, EI, AD-A and AD-B (subject to FAA regulations); also permitted on a public property in any zoning district. | FE, ID, I, EI, AD-A and AD-B (subject to FAA regulations); permitted on any public property in any zoning district; permitted on any non-residential building in any zoning district; permitted on any residential building of four or more stories in any zoning district. |
Permitted Types | Monopoles, lattice towers, and guyed towers. | Roof mounted only. |
Max. Height | 120 ft | 15 ft |
Min. Setback | 200 ft from any zoning district that has a residential use as a listed permitted use. | 15 ft from the roof edge or building parapet wall. |
Accessories | Equipment shelter house must meet all standards for an accessory uses in the FE, ID, I, EI, AD-A and AD-B (subject to FAA regulations) zoning districts. | None permitted |
Access | Vehicular access to the equipment shelter shall be provided via existing circulation system on the property and be paved with asphalt or concrete. | Access required to rooftop. |
(Ord. 2023-7, 7-17-2023)