A. General: Community and neighborhood visual concerns should be considered paramount in the consideration of and selection of wireless communications facilities sites. These concerns should be evaluated in consideration of the goals, policies, and programs of the general plan and the standards set forth in this section.
B. Site Selection And General Standards: The following standards shall apply to all wireless communications facilities:
1. Within any land use district, wireless communications facilities sites should be located in the following order of preference:
a. On existing structures such as buildings, communication towers, water towers, or similar structures. Antennas should be located so that they do not extend above the height or profile of the structure on which they are located. When located on a building or structure, antennas shall be painted and texturized to match the existing building or structure.
b. On natural features or topography, located so that structures or antennas, other than whip antennas, do not project above the ridgeline or into the skyline for both community and neighborhood views.
c. Outside the special design areas identified in section 9.44.030, "Special Design Areas", of this chapter.
d. Sites otherwise located shall comply with the visual impact and screening requirements in section 9.44.070, "Visual Impact And Screening Standards", of this chapter.
2. Facilities, including any towers and equipment buildings, should be located to avoid the dominant silhouette on ridgelines. Preservation of viewsheds of surrounding residential development should also be considered in the location and design of facilities.
3. Facilities greater than thirty feet (30') in height shall be subject to commission review and approval and may be required to provide additional visual mitigation to disguise their appearance to look like a tree, natural feature, building, or other structure. Such designs shall be in scale with the surrounding development or landscaping.
4. Facilities, including equipment buildings, shall be architecturally and visually compatible; including scale, size, and use of similar colors and building materials, with surrounding existing buildings, structures, and uses in the vicinity.
5. Antennas shall not be light reflective and shall not have any sign copy on them, nor shall they be illuminated.
6. Where the result of adding a second facility on an existing tower or monopole is of a less visual impact than what exists and sufficient vertical separation can be provided, sites should be collocated with other wireless communication providers.
7. All sites shall be landscaped or treated with a soil binder to prevent erosion, including wind erosion.
8. Applicants for wireless communications facilities shall submit a certification from an engineer qualified in radio frequency radiation that the proposed facility complies with the federal communications commission (FCC) guidelines for evaluating the environmental effects of radio frequency radiation and complies with the standards for maximum emissions of radio frequency radiation of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI)/Institute Of Electronics And Electrical Engineers (IEEE) C95.1-1992 and the National Council On Radiation Protection And Measurement (NCRP).
9. A visual simulation and detailed viewshed analyses shall be prepared to demonstrate the compatibility of the proposal with the standards and criteria of this chapter and with surrounding development and viewsheds.
10. Site location and development shall preserve the preexisting vegetation, topography, and character of the site as much as possible.
11. Security fencing shall be kept to a minimum and shall be colored or shall be of a design that blends into the character of the existing environment.
12. Access roads shall be limited to twelve feet (12') in width except where the fire department requires a greater width. The access road may be paved unless a gravel or other nonpaved surface is approved by the town.
13. Any new parking areas constructed shall be no larger than to accommodate two (2) parking spaces and maneuvering area.
14. The proposed antenna facility will operate in compliance with all applicable federal safety regulations for such facilities in that the applicant provides documentation to show that their facility will operate below such standards and conditions have been included requiring testing upon installation and operation on the facility.
15. New projects shall be conditioned to ensure the facilities do not cause interference with other utilities or communication infrastructure or services.
16. Existing facilities shall not cause interference or disturbance with other utilities or communication infrastructure or services. If it is determined that existing facilities do cause such interference, operations shall cease until repairs are made or further clearance is granted. (Ord. 254, 12-16-2014)