A. Inventory Of Existing Sites: Each applicant for a tower shall provide to the Community Planning Director an inventory of its existing towers, antennas, or sites approved for towers or antennas, that are either within the jurisdiction of the City or within three-quarters (3/4) of a mile of the border thereof, including specific information about the location, height, and design of each tower or antenna. The Community Planning Director may share such information with other applicants applying for administrative approvals or special use permits under this article or other organizations seeking to locate antennas within the jurisdiction of the City, provided, however that the Community Planning Director is not, by sharing such information, in any way representing or warranting that such sites are available or suitable.
B. Color: The antenna array shall be placed and colored to blend into the architectural detail and coloring of the host structure. Support towers shall be painted a color that best allows it to blend into the surroundings. The use of grays, blues, greens, dark bronze, browns or other site specific colors may be appropriate; however, each case should be evaluated individually.
C. Lighting: For support towers, only such lighting as is necessary to satisfy FAA requirements is permitted. White strobe lighting will not be allowed, unless specifically required by the FAA. Security lighting for the equipment shelters or cabinets and other on the ground ancillary equipment is also permitted, as long as it is appropriately down shielded to keep light within the boundaries of the site.
D. State Or Federal Requirements: All towers and antennas must meet or exceed current standards and regulations of the FAA, the FCC, and any other agency of the State or Federal government with the authority to regulate towers and antennas. If such standards and regulations are changed, and if WCF equipment is added either through collocation or replacement, then the owners of the towers and antennas governed by this article shall bring such towers and antennas into compliance with such revised standards and regulations within six (6) months of the effective date of such standards and regulations, unless a different compliance schedule is mandated by the controlling State or Federal agency. Failure to bring towers and antennas into compliance with such revised standards and regulations shall constitute grounds for the removal of the tower or antenna at the owner's expense.
E. Site Development Permit: All wireless communication facilities shall be required to obtain a site development permit or building permit and shall be subject to the site development standards prescribed herein. A site development permit shall contain the following information:
1. Construction drawings showing the proposed method of installation;
2. The manufacturer's recommended installations, if any; and
3. A diagram to scale showing the location of the wireless communication facility, property and setback lines, easements, power lines, all structures, and the required landscaping.
F. Building Codes; Safety Standards: To ensure the structural integrity of towers, the owner of a tower shall ensure that it is maintained in compliance with standards contained in applicable State or local building codes and the applicable industry standards for towers, as amended from time to time. Compliance with this article is subject to the City's Code enforcement procedures pursuant to chapter 17.09, article IX of this title, and other applicable provisions of this Code. If, upon inspection, the City concludes that a tower fails to comply with such codes and standards and constitutes a danger to persons or property, then upon notice being provided to the owner of the tower, the owner shall have thirty (30) days to bring such tower into compliance with such standards. Failure to bring such tower into compliance within said thirty (30) days shall constitute grounds for the removal of the tower at the owner's expense.
G. Notice: For purposes of this article, any special use permit or appeal of a special use shall require notice as required by section 17.09.215 of this title and other applicable provisions of this Code to all abutting property owners, in addition to any other notice otherwise required by this Code.
H. Signs: No facilities may bear any signage or advertisement(s) other than signage required by law or expressly permitted/required by the City.
I. Visual Impact: All WCFs in residential uses and zones and within two hundred feet (200') of residential zones shall be sited and designed to minimize adverse visual impacts on surrounding properties and the traveling public to the greatest extent reasonably possible, consistent with the proper functioning of the WCF. Such WCFs and equipment enclosures shall be integrated through location and design to blend in with the existing characteristics of the site. Such WCFs shall also be designed to either resemble the surrounding landscape and other natural features where located in proximity to natural surroundings, or be compatible with the built environment, through matching and complimentary existing structures and specific design considerations such as architectural designs, height, scale, color and texture or be consistent with other uses and improvements permitted in the relevant zone.
J. Use Of Stealth Design/Technology: The applicant shall provide justification why it is not employing stealth technology. Stealth design is required for macrocell facilities in residential zones, and to the extent shown in subsection 17.08.825D, table 1 of this article and elsewhere as provided in this article. Stealth and concealment techniques must be appropriate given the proposed location, design, visual environment, and nearby uses, structures, and natural features. Stealth design shall be designed and constructed to substantially conform to surrounding building designs or natural settings, so as to be visually unobtrusive. Stealth design that relies on screening wireless communication facilities in order to reduce visual impact must screen all substantial portions of the facility from view. Stealth and concealment techniques do not include incorporating faux-tree designs of a kind that are not native to the State.
K. Building-Mounted WCFs:
1. All transmission equipment shall be concealed within existing architectural features to the maximum extent feasible. Any new architectural features proposed to conceal the transmission equipment shall be designed to mimic the existing underlying structure, shall be proportional to the existing underlying structure or conform to the underlying use and shall use materials in similar quality, finish, color and texture as the existing underlying structure.
2. All roof-mounted transmission equipment shall be set back from all roof edges to the maximum extent feasible consistent with the need for "line-of-sight" transmission and reception of signals.
3. Antenna arrays and supporting transmission equipment shall be installed so as to camouflage, disguise or conceal them to make them closely compatible with and blend into the setting or host structure.
L. Antenna Arrays: Wireless communication antenna arrays are permitted in any zone as long as they are located upon an existing structure (except on single family houses, duplexes, signage or a building less than 60 feet in height), that provides sufficient elevation for the array's operation without the necessity of constructing a tower or other apparatus to extend the antenna array more than fifteen feet (15') above the structure. Installation on City property requires the execution of necessary agreements. However, if any support tower is needed to achieve the needed elevation, then a special use permit is required. If a new equipment cabinet is to be installed, it must be screened if it is higher than the existing screened facility.
M. WCFs In The Public Rights-Of-Way:
1. Utility Support Structure - Mounted Equipment: All pole- mounted transmission equipment shall be mounted as close as possible to the pole so as to reduce the overall visual profile to the maximum extent feasible.
2. License Or Agreement: For all WCFs to be located within the right-of-way, prior to submitting for a permit, the applicant must have a valid Municipal agreement, license, franchise agreement, right-of-way agreement, encroachment permit or exemption otherwise granted by applicable law. If the applicant is willing to install its ancillary facilities underground, that determination by the City shall be subject to administrative review.
N. Accessory Uses:
1. Accessory uses shall be limited to such structures and equipment that are necessary for transmission or reception functions, and shall not include broadcast studios, offices, vehicles or equipment storage, or other uses not essential to the transmission or reception functions.
2. All accessory buildings shall be constructed of building materials equal to or better than those of the primary building on the site and shall be subject to applicable permits.
3. No equipment shall be stored or parked on the site of the tower, unless used in direct support of the antennas or the tower or antennas that are being repaired.
O. Accessory Equipment: In residential zones, all accessory equipment located at the base of a WCF shall be located or placed (at the applicant's choice) in an existing building, underground, or in an equipment shelter or cabinet that is: 1) designed to blend in with existing surroundings, using architecturally compatible construction and colors; and 2) be located so as to be unobtrusive as possible consistent with the proper functioning of the WCF.
P. Site Design Flexibility: Individual WCF sites vary in the location of adjacent buildings, existing trees, topography and other local variables. By mandating certain design standards, there may result a project that could have been less intrusive if the location of the various elements of the project could have been placed in more appropriate locations within a given site. Therefore, the WCF and supporting equipment may be installed so as to best camouflage, disguise them, or conceal them, to make the WCF more closely compatible with and blend into the setting or host structure, upon approval by the City.
Q. General Standards And Construction Provisions:
1. Construction: All structures shall be constructed and installed to manufacturer's specifications, and constructed to withstand the minimum wind speed as required by the City's currently adopted International Building Code, as amended.
2. Building Code Compliance: Structures shall be permitted and constructed to meet current, adopted City Building Code requirements.
3. FCC And FAA Regulations: All structures shall conform to FCC and FAA regulations, if applicable.
4. Setback Or Bufferyard: If any setback or bufferyard as prescribed within this Code requires a greater distance than required of this article, the greater distance shall apply.
5. Landscaping, Screening And Fencing: In all zoning districts, the following additional landscaping shall be required beyond that which is required for the zone in which it is located:
a. Equipment shelters and cabinets and other on the ground ancillary equipment shall be screened with buffer yard and street tree landscaping as required for the zone in which located or with another design acceptable to the Planning Director. Artwork may also be used to screen ground equipment. At the City's discretion, as an alternative to general landscaping and screening requirements, the applicant, at its expense, shall do an artistic wrap designed by a local artist around the equipment cabinets. Alternatively, where technically feasible, the applicant shall incorporate the cabinet and other equipment into the base of a new pole (for example, for a small cell) provided there is adequate space in the right-of-way and that ADA sidewalk accessibility requirements can be met. All provisions of the ADA (including, but not limited to, clear space requirements) shall be met by the applicant.
b. In particular, the ground level view of towers shall be mitigated by additional landscaping provisions as established through the special use permit process. The use of large trees from the approved urban forestry list of recommended species or native conifers is required at the spacing specified for the specific trees chosen. Alternatively, a landscaping plan may be submitted with the special use permit and, if approved, shall take precedence over the foregoing requirement.
c. Except for locations in the right-of-way, a site-obscuring fence (for example, wrought iron as opposed to barbed wire) no less than six feet (6') in height from the finished grade shall be constructed around each tower and around related support or guy anchors. Access shall only be through a locked gate. Any fence shall comply with the other design guidelines of this Code.
6. New Poles: To the extent technically feasible, new poles must be designed to match the existing street furniture, light fixtures and other poles, and they shall serve a dual purpose (for example, a new light fixture, flag pole or banner clips).
7. Other Published Materials: All other information or materials that the City may reasonably require, from time to time, make publicly available and designate as part of the application requirements. (Ord. 3590, 2017)