A. Lighting: Towers may not be artificially lighted, unless required by public safety, the FAA or applicable Town regulation.
B. State Or Federal Requirements: All towers and antennas must meet current standards and regulations of the FAA, FCC and any other agency of the local, state or federal government with authority to regulate towers and antennas.
C. Building Codes: To ensure the structural integrity of poles and towers, the owner of a pole or tower shall ensure that the pole or tower is maintained in compliance with industry standards and applicable state and local building code standards.
D. Public Notice: For purposes of this chapter, any application for a wireless communication facility, including small wireless facilities, variance, exception or appeal of a request for a permit requires public notice to all adjoining property owners and all owners of surrounding properties as may be required by the Town Code.
E. Equipment Cabinets: The equipment cabinets shall comply with all applicable building codes and zoning requirements. A site plan is also required.
F. Inventory Of Existing Sites: Not more than one (1) time per year, each applicant for a macrocell tower shall provide to the Town an inventory of the provider's existing towers, antennas, or sites approved for towers or antennas, that are either within the jurisdiction of the Town or within one (1) mile of the border thereof, including specific information about the location and tower height. The Town may share such information with other applicants applying for Town Council or other permits under this chapter or other organizations seeking to locate antennas within the jurisdiction of the Town, provided, however, that the Town is not, by sharing such information, in any way representing or warranting that such sites are available or suitable.
G. Color: To the extent feasible, the antennas shall be placed and colored to blend into the architectural detail and coloring of the host structure. Towers shall be painted a color that best allows them 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 shall be evaluated individually.
H. Signs: No facilities may bear any signage other than that required by law or expressly permitted or required by the Town.
I. Visual Impact: All wireless communication facilities in residential districts, historic and downtown districts shall be sited and designed with stealth features 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 wireless communication facilities. Such wireless communication facilities and equipment enclosures shall be integrated through location and design to blend in with the existing characteristics of the site. Stealth and concealment techniques must be appropriate given the proposed location, design, visual environment, and nearby uses, structures, and natural features. Such wireless communication facilities 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 or be consistent with other uses and improvements permitted in the relevant zone.
J. Building-Mounted WCFs:
1. All transmission equipment shall be concealed within existing architectural features to the extent feasible. Any new architectural features proposed to conceal the transmission equipment shall be designed to mimic the existing underlying structure, shall be as proportional as possible 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 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 to camouflage, disguise or conceal them to make them closely compatible with and blend into the setting or host structure.
K. Placement And Notice:
1. All pole-mounted transmission equipment shall be mounted as close as technically possible to the pole to reduce the overall visual profile to the extent feasible subject to applicable safety codes.
2. Prior to the installation or construction of a wireless communication facility within the public right-of-way or utility easement, the provider must notify all utilities located within such public right-of-way or utility easement regarding its proposed use of the public right-of-way or utility easement.
L. Accessory Equipment: All accessory equipment located at the base of a pole or tower shall be placed (at the provider's choice) in an existing building, underground, or in an equipment shelter or cabinet that is designed to blend in with existing surroundings, using architecturally compatible construction and colors; and be located so as to be unobtrusive as possible consistent with the proper functioning of the wireless communication facilities.
M. Site Design Flexibility: Individual 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 wireless communication facilities and supporting equipment may be installed to best camouflage, disguise or conceal them, to make the wireless communication facilities more closely compatible with and blend into the setting or host structure, upon approval by the Town.
N. Landscaping, Screening And Fencing:
1. Equipment shelters and cabinets and other on the ground ancillary equipment shall be screened with landscaping (except for those in the public right- of-way) as required for the zone in which they are located or with another design acceptable to the Town. Alternatively, where technically feasible, the applicant may incorporate the cabinet and other equipment into the base of a new pole (for example, for a small wireless facility) provided there is adequate space in the public right-of-way and that the Americans with Disabilities Act sidewalk accessibility requirements can be met. All provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act (including, but not limited to, clear space requirements) shall be met by the provider.
2. Except for locations in the public right-of-way, a site-obscuring fence (for example, wrought iron as opposed to barbed wire) shall be constructed around each tower and around related support or guy anchors at the height specified for the zoning district. Access shall only be through a locked gate. Any fence shall comply with the other design guidelines of the Town Code.
O. New Poles: To the extent technically feasible, new poles must be designed to match the existing light fixtures and other poles, and they shall serve a dual purpose (for example, a new light fixture, flag pole or banner clips).
P. As-Builts And Maps: The provider shall furnish to the Town paper and electronic maps showing the location of its equipment in the public right-of-way and as-builts after construction is completed. (Ord. 2019-002, 5-7-2019)