The city acknowledges the legal right of wireless telecommunications providers to do business within the city. The city further acknowledges that, pursuant to federal law, the city's regulations must be nondiscriminatory, must not be based on the health effects of radio frequency emissions and must not prohibit the delivery of telecommunications services. Accordingly, in order to establish uniform, nondiscriminatory, and competitively neutral regulations that protect the public health, safety and general welfare of the community, these regulations are intended to:
(A) Facilitate the provision of commercial wireless telecommunication services in the city and surrounding area;
(B) Minimize adverse visual effects of towers through careful design and siting standards;
(C) Avoid potential damage to adjacent properties from tower or antenna failure and weather related occurrences through structural standards, careful siting and setback requirements;
(D) Encourage the placement of commercial wireless telecommunication service towers in non-residential zoning districts or alternatively on commercial, industrial, or institutional property and large publicly owned parcels as is specified in the Locational Priorities section; and
(E) Minimize the total number of existing and new towers needed to serve the community, and maximize the use of existing towers and buildings to accommodate commercial wireless telecommunication service antennas.
(Ord. 386, passed 8-12-02)