Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
141 <br />Orange County, North Carolina <br />WIRELESS ELEMENT <br />OF THE <br />MASTER TELECOMMUNICATIONS PLAN (MTP) <br />I. INTRODUCTION <br />What is the MTP <br />The MTP identifies existing and potential future wireless telecommunication sites and <br />structures, addresses a number of related siting issues in an organized and systematic <br />manner and serves as an informational tool for implementation of the Zoning Ordinance <br />(hereafter "Ordinance" or "Zoning Ordinance "). <br />The Ordinance provides a "placeholder" to allow Orange County to adopt an MTP, <br />should it desire to do so through the public hearing process. Even if the MTP is <br />approved, wireless tower applicants may apply to locate a facility on properties identified <br />in the MTP only after obtaining a special use permit and meeting all other Zoning <br />Ordinance and building code requirements. <br />Planning Processes <br />Starting in March of 2002, the MTP was the subject of several departmental meetings to <br />determine if there were any properties suitable as tower sites. Initial efforts focused on <br />compiling base map information within Orange County, which identified: <br />1. Tax parcels, <br />2. Road networks, <br />3. Bodies of water, <br />4. Township boundaries, and <br />5. Watershed areas where commercial uses are not permitted. <br />GIS map overlays were subsequently prepared to identify the following features: <br />1. Duke Power transmission lines and properties, <br />2. Piedmont Electric Membership Corporation transmission lines and properties, <br />3. Duke Forest properties, <br />4. Eno River State Park properties, <br />5. Orange County School District properties, <br />6. Orange Water and Sewer Authority properties, <br />7. Fire stations, <br />8. County -owned properties, <br />9. Semi - public properties, (i.e., churches and community center), <br />10. Existing telecommunication towers, and <br />11. Volunteer Agriculture District properties. <br />Staff invited potential telecommunication tower stakeholders to discuss possible issues <br />for the MTP and to gauge interest in such a plan. Four such meetings were held from <br />August 2002 to January 2003. A listing of stakeholders involved with the MTP process <br />1 <br />