A. General: The following provisions shall govern the issuance of conditional use permits:
1. If the tower or antenna cannot be approved administratively pursuant to section 18.178.080 of this chapter, a conditional use permit shall be required pursuant to chapter 18.192 of this title for the construction of the tower or the placement of the antenna.
2. All information of an engineering nature that the applicant submits, whether civil, mechanical or electrical, shall be certified by a licensed professional engineer.
B. Information Required: In addition to the information requested under chapter 18.192 of this title, an applicant requesting a conditional use permit pursuant to this chapter shall submit: 1) scaled site plan and a scaled elevation view and other supporting drawings, calculations, and other documentation, signed and sealed by appropriate licensed professionals, showing the location and dimensions of all improvements, including information concerning topography, radio frequency coverage, tower height requirements, setbacks, vehicular circulation areas, parking, fencing, landscaping, adjacent uses; 2) identify all towers and/or antennas within one thousand feet (1,000') of the proposed tower/antenna; 3) an inventory of existing sites pursuant to subsection 18.178.050C of this chapter; 4) a detailed plan of fencing for security of the tower and support facilities; 5) a detailed landscape plan for the effective screening of the tower and support facilities.
C. Factors Considered In Granting Conditional Use Permits: In addition to the findings required under chapter 18.192 of this title, the planning commission may consider the following factors in determining whether to issue a conditional use permit, or in applying conditions of approval:
1. Height of the proposed tower;
2. Proximity of the tower to residential structures and residential district boundaries including public right of way;
3. Nature of uses on adjacent and nearby properties;
4. Surrounding topography;
5. Surrounding tree coverage and foliage;
6. Design of the tower, with particular reference to design characteristics that have the effect of reducing or eliminating visual obtrusiveness;
7. Proposed ingress and egress;
8. Availability of suitable and proximity of other existing towers and other structures;
9. Consideration of alternative sites.
D. Availability Of Suitable Existing Towers Or Other Structures: No new tower shall be approved unless the city finds that no existing tower or structure can accommodate the applicant's proposed antenna. Evidence submitted to demonstrate that no existing tower or structure can accommodate the applicant's proposed antenna may consist of any of the following:
1. No existing towers or structures are located within the geographic area required to meet the applicant's engineering requirements;
2. Existing towers or structures are not of sufficient height to meet the applicant's engineering requirements;
3. Existing towers or structures do not have sufficient structural strength to support the applicant's proposed antenna and related equipment;
4. The applicant's proposed antenna would cause electromagnetic interference with the antenna on the existing towers or structures, or the antenna on the existing towers or structures would cause interference with the applicant's proposed antenna;
5. The fees, costs or contractual provisions required by the applicant in order to share an existing tower or structure or to adapt an existing tower or structure for sharing are unreasonable. Costs exceeding new tower development are presumed to be unreasonable;
6. The applicant demonstrates that there are other limiting factors that render existing towers and structures unsuitable.
E. Setbacks And Separation: The following setbacks and separation requirements shall apply to all towers and antennas:
1. Towers shall be set back a distance equal to one hundred feet (100') from any off site residential structure.
2. Towers, guys and accessory facilities shall satisfy the minimum zoning district setback requirements.
F. Landscaping: Existing mature tree growth and natural landforms on the site shall be preserved to the maximum extent possible. In some cases, such as towers sited on large, wooded lots, natural growth around the property perimeter may be a sufficient buffer. (Ord. 2433 § 1, 2000)