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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: May 28, 2002 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. A- <br /> SUBJECT: Telecommunications Towers Moratorium Update <br /> DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> • Timeline for Ordinance Adoption (pp.3) Craig N. Benedict, ext 2592 <br /> • Regulatory Issues/Concerns for Tom King, ext 2607 <br /> Consideration (pp. 4) <br /> • Info. Obtained from Monroe Telecom & TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br /> Trigon Engineering Regarding Hillsborough 732-8181 <br /> Towers (pp. 5-13) Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br /> Durham 688-7331 <br /> Mebane 336-227-2031 <br /> PURPOSE: To hear an update on the progress of research into possible amendments to the <br /> current Zoning Ordinance text relating to telecommunications tower regulation. This research <br /> has been ongoing since the time the six-month moratorium on telecommunications towers was <br /> adopted by the Board of Commissioners. <br /> BACKGROUND: The Board of County Commissioners enacted a six-month moratorium on the <br /> processing of all new telecommunications tower applications in Orange County's planning <br /> jurisdiction on March 6, 2002. The purpose of the moratorium was to allow Staff to prepare <br /> proposed Ordinance amendments relating to the review of,future telecommunications tower <br /> applications. In addition, the "telco" tower and provider industries will be brought in to discuss <br /> the proposed changes. This, as yet, has not occurred because Planning Staff is coordinating <br /> with all other interested County departments (including, but not limited to, Emergency <br /> Management, Information Technology, County Attorney's office, Purchasing, Environment & <br /> Resource Protection, etc.) regarding their input. <br /> Ordinance amendments being considered include the following: <br /> • Promotion of co-location possibilities not only on existing towers, but also on electric <br /> transmission lines where existing transmission line towers exist. At this time there are <br /> several transmission corridors located throughout the County. <br /> • Promotion of the location of telecommunications towers and related facilities on certain <br /> identified public and semi-public (civic) properties throughout the County. <br /> • Annual application reviews for proposed new telecommunications towers. Any and all <br /> proposed applications would be reviewed once per year. <br />