Wireless telecommunication facilities shall be permitted to be placed in public rights-of-way as attachments to existing alternative antenna structures or county-owned infrastructure or as an attachment to a new alternative antenna structure subject to the following regulations:
(A) Siting of wireless telecommunication facilities. When deciding where to install wireless telecommunication facilities, wireless services providers shall take into consideration the surrounding and adjacent land uses and make every effort to avoid siting wireless telecommunication facilities at or near properties with high frequency outdoor usage such as parks, schools, recreational facilities, etc.
(B) New alternative antenna structures. With respect to the application for the installation of a wireless telecommunication facility on a new alternative antenna structure, the county may propose that the wireless telecommunication facility be collocated on an existing alternative antenna structure within 100 feet of the proposed installation, which the applicant will accept if it has the right to use the alternate antenna structure on reasonable terms and conditions and the alternate location and structure does not impose technical limits or unreasonable additional material costs as determined by the applicant. The applicant shall provide a written certification describing any property rights, technical limits or material costs as reasons that the alternate location does not satisfy the criteria in this paragraph.
(C) Signage. Identification signage shall be affixed onto each wireless telecommunication facility identifying the wireless services provider, contact phone number and unique identifier. Installation of other signs on a wireless telecommunication facility shall be prohibited, unless they are for warning labels or otherwise are required by law or regulations.
(D) Frequency interference. The wireless services provider’s operation of the wireless telecommunication facilities in the rights-of-way shall not interfere with the frequencies used by the county’s public safety or roadway facility communications, including, but not limited to, streetlight and traffic signal transmissions. In the event that an interference with the frequencies used by the county’s public safety or roadway facility communications is detected, at any time, the wireless services provider is required to, at its own expense, either: (i) reconfigure or filter its antenna system’s transmissions or frequency; or (ii) cease transmitting/receiving from said unit; or (iii) remove the entirety of the installation immediately upon notification of said interference. In the event a relocation is required, the wireless services provider will be required to apply for a new wireless telecommunication facility permit under the terms of this subchapter.
(E) Attachment limitations. No wireless telecommunication antenna or facility shall be attached to an alternative antenna structure or county-owned infrastructure unless all of the following conditions are satisfied:
(1) Height requirements. The maximum height of a wireless telecommunication antenna attached to a structure is limited to ten feet above the structure on which the wireless telecommunication antenna is collocated. The height of a new or replacement structure on which wireless telecommunication facilities are collocated shall be limited to the higher of:
(a) Ten feet in height above the tallest existing structure, other than a tower supporting only wireless facilities, that is in place on the date the application is submitted to the county, that is located within 300 feet of the new or replacement structure and that is in the same rights-of-way within the jurisdictional boundary of the county according to a survey completed by the applicant of all existing structure heights and locations; or
(b) Forty-five feet above ground level.
(2) Antenna size. The wireless telecommunication antenna, including antenna panels, whip antennas or dish-shaped antennas, shall be located inside an enclosure of no more than six cubic feet in volume or, in the case of an antenna that has exposed elements, the antenna and all of its exposed elements could fit within an imaginary enclosure of no more than six cubic feet. Applicant shall provide written proof by way of design drawings and details at time of application submittal that show the volume limitation has been met.
(3) Equipment volume of above-ground wireless telecommunication facility. The total combined volume of all above-ground equipment and appurtenances comprising a wireless telecommunication facility, exclusive of the antenna itself, shall not cumulatively exceed 25 cubic feet in volume. The following types of associated ancillary equipment are not included in the calculation of equipment volume: electric meter, concealment elements, telecommunication demarcation box, ground-based enclosures, grounding equipment, power transfer switch, cut-off switch, and vertical cable runs for the connection of power and other services. Applicant shall provide written proof by way of design drawings and details at time of application submittal that show the volume limitation has been met.
(4) Mounting requirements. The base of the equipment, antenna or appurtenances of a wireless telecommunication facility collocated on a structure shall be located no lower than ten feet above grade and at a location and height that meets the requirements of the American Disabilities Act (ADA) and the clearances set forth in the Public Rights-of-Way Accessibility Guidelines (PROWAG) or the subsequent regulations on accessibility in public rights-of-way. Collocation on county-owned infrastructure shall also not interfere with or obscure existing traffic control devices including signal heads and signage. For traffic signals or street lights, no elements of a wireless telecommunication facility shall be mounted onto the signal mast arm or lighting luminaire arm.
(5) Landscape screening. In the event that a wireless telecommunication facility is proposed to be installed at grade, landscape screening shall be installed to minimize the visibility of the wireless telecommunication facility, at the discretion of the county.
(6) Wiring and cabling. Wires and cables connecting the antenna to the remainder of the facility shall be installed in accordance with the version of the National Electric Code and National Electrical Safety Code in effect at the time of application. In no event shall wiring and cabling serving the facility interfere with any wiring or cabling installed by a cable television or video service operator, electric utility or telephone utility. The applicant shall be required to provide written sign-off by each owner/operator that a proposed collocation will not adversely impact their existing facilities. Said sign-offs must be provided at the time of application submittal. The applicant shall obtain necessary inspections of power service cabling required by local agencies.
(7) Grounding. The wireless telecommunication facility shall be grounded in accordance with the requirements of the most current edition of the National Electrical Code currently in effect. The applicant shall obtain necessary inspections of grounding installations required by local agencies.
(8) Guy wires. No guy or other support wires shall be used in connection with a wireless telecommunication facility unless the facility is proposed to be attached to an existing structure that incorporated guy wires prior to the date that an applicant has applied for a permit.
(9) Pole extensions. Extensions to structures utilized for the purpose of collocating a wireless telecommunication antenna and its related wireless telecommunication equipment shall be fabricated from material similar to the structure and shall have 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 the structural loading standards set forth as noted below. An extension shall be securely bound to the structure in accordance with applicable engineering standards for the design and attachment of such extensions.
(10) Structural loading. The wireless telecommunication facility, including the antenna, pole extension and all related equipment shall be designed to withstand wind forces and ice loads in accordance with applicable standards established in Chapter 25 of the National Electric Safety Code for structures, Rule 250-B and 250-C standards governing wind, ice, and loading forces on structures, in the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) in TIA/EIA Section 222-G established by the Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) and the Electronics Industry Association (EIA) for steel structures and the applicable industry standard for other existing structures. The applicant shall provide the county with a structural evaluation of each specific location affirming that the proposed installation passes the standards described above. The evaluation shall be prepared by a professional structural engineer licensed in the State of Illinois.
(11) Electrical disconnect. The wireless telecommunication facility shall include an electrical service disconnect switch to allow county personnel and agents to shut off power in the event of an incident or other abnormal condition. The switch shall be located a minimum of ten feet from the wireless telecommunication facility and accessible to county and emergency response personnel without restriction.
(Ord. 18-0757, passed 7-10-2018)