(A) Facility height.
(1) No wireless communication facility, antenna or tower shall exceed the following maximum tower height.
(a) Wireless communication towers shall not exceed 125 feet above the ground level at the point of their foundation.
(b) Attached wireless communication facilities shall not add more than 25 feet to the existing building or structure to which they are attached.
(2) Antennas attached to existing communication towers shall not increase the height of tower above the maximum allowed.
(a) Towers sited on major mountain ridges shall not exceed the adjacent existing vegetative canopy by more that 25 feet.
(b) Towers sited within the view-shed of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Stone Mountain State Park, the New River or the New River State Park shall not exceed the adjacent existing vegetative canopy by more than 25 feet.
(c) Towers that are designed to accommodate more than one provider's antennas may increase their tower height by 15 feet above the maximum allowable height for their site, but not greater than 125 feet.
(B) Setback. In order to allow for a fall zone, the wireless communication facility's support tower shall be setback from the site boundary 100% of the tower's height or 100% of the tower's engineered breakaway section height as certified by a state registered professional engineer. The Board of Commissioners may waive this requirement upon submission of a written instrument signed by all adjoining property owners and duly notarized agreeing to the modification or waiver. Setback requirements are waived if the tower is mounted on an existing structure.
(C) Security fence. A minimum of an eight-foot chain link fence with three strands of barbed wire at its top must surround the wireless communication facility. The security fence must be locked when the facility is unattended.
(D) Landscaping. Landscaping shall be provided and maintained by the wireless communication facility operator. A minimum of ten feet of camouflaging landscaping must be provided outside of the wireless communication facility's security fence. Minimum landscaping includes a row of evergreens with a minimum height equal to the height of the security fence and a maximum separation of 20 feet. Additionally, evergreen shrubs capable of creating a continuous hedge and obtaining a height of at least five feet with a maximum spacing of five feet and at least 24 inches in height at the time of planting shall be part of the landscaping.
(E) Major mountain ridge. Locating a tower on a major mountain ridge should be a last resort. Justifying documentation shall be provided.
(F) Collocation. The applicant should first consider collocation on existing structures (i.e., water towers, power poles, other communication towers and the like). Not siting on existing structures that are within one mile of the proposed site requires justifying documentation. Proposed towers should be designed for collocation for at least one other provider's communication antennas.
(G) Signage. New and existing wireless communication towers shall be marked with a sign that does not exceed 15 square feet in size. The sign shall include the name of the facility's owner as well as the user's name and emergency contact telephone number. The sign shall be placed in a clearly visible location.
(H) Ice and wind. A state registered professional engineer shall provide certification that the proposed tower, at a minimum, will withstand the 100-year return wind speed for the site and one-half inch of solid radial ice.
(I) Camouflage. Stealth or camouflage technology must be used when the proposed tower is within the viewshed of the Blue Ridge Parkway, Stone Mountain State Park, the New River/or the New River State Park. Wooden poles may be considered camouflage technology.
(J) Land form preservation. Existing mature tree growth and natural land on the site shall be preserved to the extent feasible; provided that, vegetation which causes interference with the antennas or inhibits access to the equipment facility may be trimmed or removed.
(K) Facility color. The tower, equipment facility and fence shall be earth tone or natural colors that blend with the surrounding area, except when specific colors or color patterns are required by state or federal regulations.
(L) Lighting. Wireless communication facilities shall not be artificially illuminated, directly or indirectly, except as follows:
(1) Security and safety lighting of equipment facilities is permitted if the lighting is appropriately down shielded to keep light within the boundaries of the site; and
(2) Lighting that is required by state or federal regulations.
(Ord. passed - -) Penalty, see § 153.99