(A) Lighting. Towers may not be artificially lighted, unless required by public safety, the FAA, or applicable city 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 small wireless facility or pole, 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 city.
(E) Equipment cabinets. The equipment cabinets shall comply with all applicable building codes and zoning requirements.
(F) Site plan. A site plan is required. A scaled site plan shall clearly indicate the location, type, height, and width of the proposed pole, on-site land uses and zoning, adjacent land uses and zoning, adjacent roadways, photo simulations, a depiction of all proposed transmission equipment, proposed means of access, setbacks from property lines, elevation drawings, or renderings of the proposed pole and any other structures, topography, utility runs, and other information deemed necessary to assess compliance with this chapter.
(G) Inventory of existing sites. Not more than one time per year, each applicant owning a macro cell tower shall provide to the city an inventory of the wireless provider’s existing towers, antennas, or sites approved for towers or antennas, that are either within the jurisdiction of the city or within one mile of the border thereof, including specific information about the location and tower height. The city may share such information with other applicants applying for administrative review or other permits under this chapter or other organizations seeking to locate antennas within the jurisdiction of the city; provided, however, that the city is not, by sharing such information, in any way representing or warranting that such sites are available or suitable.
(H) 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 and antennas 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.
(I) Signs. No facilities may bear any signage other than that required by law or expressly permitted or required by the city.
(J) Visual impact. All small wireless 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.
(K) Obstruction. Any new pole or support structure or equipment associated with small wireless facilities shall not obstruct access to:
(1) Any existing above-ground or underground right-of-way user facilities or public facilities;
(2) Any public infrastructure for traffic control, street light, or public transportation purposes including, without limitation, any vehicular traffic sign or signal or pedestrian traffic sign or signal;
(3) Any public transportation street furniture or other improvements at any public transportation stop;
(4) Fire hydrants; or
(5) Any doors, gates, or other ingress and egress points to any building appurtenant to the right-of-way.
(L) Placement and notice.
(1) All pole-mounted transmission equipment shall be mounted as close as technically possible to the pole so as to reduce the overall visual profile to the extent feasible subject to applicable safety codes.
(2) Prior to the installation or construction of a small wireless facility within the right-of-way or utility easement, the wireless provider must notify all utilities located within such right-of-way or utility easement regarding its proposed use of the right-of-way or utility easement.
(M) Accessory equipment. All accessory equipment located at the base of a pole or tower shall be placed (at the provider’s choice) underground, or in an equipment 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 wireless communication facilities.
(N) 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 so as 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 city.
(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) Maps and as-builts. The wireless provider shall furnish to the city paper and electronic maps showing the location of its equipment in the right-of-way and as-builts after construction is completed.
(Ord. 736, passed 9-3-2019)