1118.03 GENERAL STANDARDS.
(a) Construction Standards. All wireless telecommunication facilities and support structures shall be certified by an engineer licensed in the State of Ohio to be structurally sound and, at a minimum, in conformance with the Ohio Basic Building Code.
(b) Natural Resource Protection Standards. The location of the wireless telecommunication facility shall comply with all natural resource protection standards established either in this Zoning Code or in other applicable regulations, including those for flood plains.
(c) Color and Appearance Standards. All wireless telecommunication facilities shall be painted a non- contrasting gray or a similar color minimizing its visibility, unless otherwise required by the Federal Communications Commission or Federal Aviation Administration. All appurtenances shall be aesthetically and architecturally compatible with the surrounding environment by the means of camouflage deemed acceptable by the City.
(d) Advertising Prohibited. No advertising is permitted anywhere upon or attached to the wireless telecommunication facility.
(e) Artificial Lighting Restricted. No wireless telecommunication facility shall be artificially lit except as required by the Federal Aviation Administration.
(f) Co-location. All wireless telecommunication facilities shall be subject to the co-location requirements set forth in Section 1118.04
- Co-Location Requirements.
(g) Abandonment. All wireless telecommunication facilities shall be subject to the abandonment requirements set forth in Section 1118.10
- Abandonment and Termination of Use.
(h) Setback from Edge of Roof. Any wireless telecommunication facility and its appurtenances permitted on the roof of a building shall be set back one (1) foot from the edge of the roof for each one (1) foot in height of the wireless telecommunication facility. However, this setback requirement shall not apply to antennas that are less than two (2) inches in thickness mounted to the sides of antenna support structures and do not protrude more than six (6) inches from the side of such an antenna support structure. This requirement is subject to change by the City upon the review of the photo simulation provided in compliance with Section 1118.11
- Application and Review Requirements.
(i) Security Enclosure Required. All towers and equipment shelters shall be completely enclosed by a fence or solid wall. The City and co-locators shall have reasonable access No fence shall be required on top of a building or other structure if access to the roof or top of the structure or building is secure.
(j) Existing Vegetation and Buffer Plantings. Existing vegetation (trees, shrubs, etc.) shall be preserved to the maximum extent possible. All telecommunications towers and related structures shall be landscaped with a continuous six (6) foot-high planting or hedge. Earth mounding of three (3) feet in height may be used to achieve the overall buffer height of six (6) feet. Natural vegetation shall have a minimum opaqueness of seventy-five percent (75%) during full foliage when viewed from two (2) to five (5) feet above the ground. Full opaqueness shall be achieved not more than three (3) years from time of planting.
(k) Access Control and Emergency Contact. "No Trespassing" signs shall be posted around the wireless telecommunications facility, along with a twenty-four (24) hour telephone number of who to contact in the event of any emergency.
(l) Annual Certification of Continued Use and Structural Integrity. All wireless telecommunications providers shall annually file a declaration with the Director of Public Service to the continuing operation of every facility installed subject to this Zoning Code. The owner/ operator of antennas or antenna towers shall provide annually a certification from a registered professional engineer regarding the structural integrity and safety of the antennas or antenna towers in conformance with this Zoning Code.
(Ord. 081-2023. Passed 10-3-23; Ord. 031-2024. Passed 5-21-24.)