As used in this chapter, the following terms shall have the meanings indicated:
(a) Alternative tower structure. Clock towers, sculptures, bell steeples, light poles, and similar alternative-design mounting structures that conceal the presence of antennas or towers and are architecturally compatible with the area.
(b) Collocation. The placement, installation, maintenance, modification, operation, or replacement of wireless facilities on, under, within, or on the surface of the earth adjacent to existing structures, including utility poles, city utility poles, water towers, buildings, and other structures capable of structurally supporting the attachment of wireless facilities in compliance with applicable codes. The term does not include the installation of new utility poles, city utility poles, or wireless support structures.
(c) Eligible facilities request. A request for modification of an existing wireless tower or base station that involves collocation of new transmission equipment or replacement of transmission equipment but does not include a substantial modification.
(d) Pre-existing towers and antennas. Any tower or antenna on which a permit has been properly issued before the effective date of this chapter.
(e) Small wireless facility. A wireless facility that meets the following qualifications:
(1) Each antenna is located inside an enclosure of no more than six (6) cubic feet in volume or, in the case of an antenna that has exposed elements, the antenna and all of its exposed elements, if enclosed, could fit within an enclosure of no more than six (6) cubic feet.
(2) All other wireless equipment associated with the facility has a cumulative volume of no more than twenty-eight (28) cubic feet. For the purposes of this subsection, the following types of ancillary equipment are not included in the calculation of equipment volume: electric meters, concealment elements, telecommunications demarcation boxes, ground-based enclosures, grounding equipment, power transfer switches, and cut-off switches, vertical cable runs for the connection of power and other services, or other support structures.
(f) Substantial modification. The mounting of a proposed wireless facility on a wireless support structure that substantially changes the physical dimensions of the support structure. The burden is on the town to demonstrate that a mounting that does not meet the listed criteria constitutes a substantial change to the physical dimensions of the wireless support structure. A mounting is presumed to be a substantial modification if it meets any one or more of the following criteria:
(1) Increasing the existing vertical height of the structure by the greater of (i) more than ten percent (10%); or (ii) the height of one additional antenna array with separation from the nearest existing antenna not to exceed twenty (20) feet.
(2) Except where necessary to shelter the antenna from inclement weather or to connect the antenna to the tower via cable, adding an appurtenance to the body of a wireless support structure that protrudes horizontally from the edge of the wireless support structure the greater of (i) more than twenty (20) feet; or (ii) more than the width of the wireless support structure at the level of the appurtenance.
(3) Increasing the square footage of the existing equipment compound by more than two thousand, five hundred (2,500) square feet.
(g) Telecommunications tower. Any structure that is designed and constructed primarily to support one or more antennas, including self-supporting lattice towers, guy towers, or monopole towers. The term includes radio and television transmission towers, personal communications service towers (PCS), microwave towers, common-carrier towers, cellular telephone towers, alternative tower structures, and the like. This definition does not include any structure erected solely for residential, non-commercial individual use, such as television antennas, satellite dishes, or amateur radio antennas. (Ord. of 1/10/05; Ord. of 12/6/10; Ord. of 6/28/21)