(A) Aesthetic requirements.
(1) The wireless facilities must be concealed or enclosed as much as possible in an equipment box, cabinet or other unit that may include ventilation openings. External cables and wires hanging off a pole must be sheathed or enclosed in a conduit, so that wires are protected and not visible or visually minimized to the extent possible.
(2) The antenna and related equipment of small cell facilities must be a color that is consistent with or most blends into the wireless support structure on which it is installed, unless a different color is required for public safety or service reliability reasons.
(3) All ground equipment must be installed below ground. The Director may waive this requirement, provided that the ground equipment must be no more than three feet in height, three and a half feet in width, two feet in depth, and a total of not more than 21 cubic feet, excluding any concrete pad that is at grade, or no more than one inch above grade.
(4) The operator may, at its own expense, install camouflaged wireless facilities or licensee poles, provided the operator obtains the requisite approvals and permits. The operator must install wireless facilities or licensee poles that conform to the design standards for the proposed installation site, if any, unless otherwise approved by the Director.
(5) From time to time, the Planning and Development Director may request that the operator explore the feasibility of using certain equipment (including certain wireless facility, ground equipment, and licensee poles) to improve the aesthetics of the wireless facilities, licensee poles, ground equipment, or any portion thereof, to minimize the impact to the aesthetics of the surrounding area.
(B) Size and height.
(1) A small cell facility must conform to the size and height limitations as defined for a small cell facility in this subchapter. Moreover, no part of a small cell facility installed on a wireless support structure may be higher than the lesser of ten feet above the highest point of the tallest existing utility pole located within 500 linear feet in the same right-of-way, or 55 feet above ground level; nor may the facility be lower than nine feet above grade level, measured from the bottom of the wireless support structure, except for cabling necessary to reach the ground. Wireless facilities on a utility pole or licensee pole must be installed at least eight feet above the ground.
(2) Wireless facilities installed on a utility pole or licensee pole must not exceed four feet in height, two feet in width, and two feet in depth, unless otherwise approved in writing by the Director. Extensions to an existing wireless facility must not result in a combined width of more than three feet, as measured from the edge of the utility pole or licensee pole, and any subsequent modifications to the pole. The operator shall be allowed an additional cabinet for emergency battery back-up power that will not be counted towards the dimension requirements previously stated in this paragraph, provided the battery back-up power cabinet does not exceed two feet in height, two feet in width, and 21 inches in depth.
(3) Licensee poles must not exceed 40 feet in height, as measured from the ground, and with subsequent modifications must not exceed 45 feet in height, as measured from the ground. Licensee poles must not exceed three feet in diameter or three feet in width, as measured from the edge of the utility pole or licensee pole, and any subsequent modifications to the pole.
(4) Micro network nodes must be no longer than 24 inches x 15 inches x 12 inches.
(C) Support structure extensions. Extensions to support structures must be fabricated from material having a degree of strength capable of supporting the antenna and any related appurtenances and cabling, and capable of withstanding wind forces and ice loads in accordance with applicable engineering standards.
(D) Wiring and cabling. Wires and cables connecting the antenna panel and appurtenances serving the small cell facility must be installed in accordance with the version of the National Electrical Code and the National Electrical Safety Code adopted by the city and in force at the time of installation. In no event shall wiring and cabling serving the small cell facility interfere with any wiring or cabling installed by a cable television or video service operator, electric utility, or telephone utility.
(E) Guy wires restricted. Guy wires and similar support structures may not be used as part of the installation of any small cell facility, unless the small cell facility is proposed to be attached to an existing utility pole that incorporated guy wires prior to the date of the small cell application.
(F) Noise. Wireless facilities must not generate sound pressure levels exceeding 45 decibels, as measured on a sound level meter using the A-weighting network, three feet from any residential building wall (including retirement/convalescent homes), any public library, or any child care or elementary school classroom or playground.
(G) Electrical supply. The operator shall be responsible for obtaining any required electrical power service. The operator must not allow or install generators or back-up generators in the right-of-way. The city shall not be liable for any stoppages or shortages of electrical power, including without limitation stoppages or shortages caused by any act, omission or requirement of the public utility, or the act or omission of any other tenant or licensee of the structure, or for any other cause beyond the control of the city. The operator shall not be entitled to any abatement of compensation required by this subchapter for any such stoppage or shortage of electrical power.
(H) Grounding. The small cell facility (including any ground-mounted equipment) must be grounded in accordance with the requirements of the most current edition of the National Electrical Code adopted by the city regarding grounding of wireless facilities.
(I) Fiber connection. The operator shall be responsible for obtaining access and connection to fiber optic lines or other backhaul solutions that may be required for its wireless facilities or licensee pole.
(J) Code compliance. A small cell facility must be designed to withstand wind forces and ice loads in accordance with applicable standards established in the most recent version of Chapter 25 of the National Electric Safety Code for utility poles, in Section 222-G established by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the Electronics Industry Association (EIA) for steel wireless support structures, and the applicable industry standard for other structures.
(K) Signage.
(1) The operator must post its name, location-identifying information, and emergency telephone number in an area on the cabinet of a wireless facility that is visible to the public. Signage required under this section must not exceed four inches by six inches, unless otherwise required by law (e.g., RF ground notification signs) or the Director.
(2) RF warning signage must be placed up higher on the pole near the antenna, using a background color that is the same color as the pole. Where applicable, such signage should also face out toward the street, rather than toward any residential window behind the pole.
(3) Other than warning or notification signs required by applicable law, or identification and location markings, the operator must not post or allow any signage or advertising on the wireless facilities, licensee pole or utility pole.
(Ord. 2017-22, passed 8-22-17)