Orange County NC Website
a. Amend Sections 3, 6, 6.1, and 7 and other related sections to <br />define and regulate the open burning of trees, limbs, stumps <br />and construction debris associated with permitted activity. <br />This item was addressed above. <br />4. Orange County Telecommunications Plan <br />a. Article 6.18.5, Master Telecommunications Plan ("Plan"), of <br />the Orange County Zoning Ordinance allows for the <br />development of a "Master Telecommunications Plan." A <br />tower may be constructed upon issuance of a building permit <br />and after meeting Zoning Ordinance requirements for <br />construction of telecommunications towers. Providers <br />electing to participate in the Plan shall submit required <br />information and filing fee to the County for review by a <br />contracted consultant to verify site necessity. Modifications <br />to the Plan will be considered annually in February of each <br />year. Applications to participate in the Plan are due prior to <br />December 15 of each year. Withdrawals from the Plan are <br />allowed upon notification to the County. <br />Craig Benedict said that this has to do with telecommunications tower regulations. There <br />have been some changes to the class A and class B requirements far towers and to the <br />notification requirements. The purpose of the Master Telecommunications Plan (MTP) is to <br />develop a public safety network to enhance the communication ability of the County and <br />the public service providers. The MTP would allow the public to participate in a pre- <br />identification process to offer their site to allow a tower to come on their property. This <br />proposal is to allow pre-identified sites to be put on the map. It does not mean that towers <br />will definitely go on the sites, but that the sites are possible locations far towers. There is <br />no special interest to these sites and these sites will still have to go through the same <br />public hearing process as other sites. The list also includes some potential tower sites <br />owned by the County. There have been about 20 private property owners who have <br />expressed interest in allowing their properties to be used as well as OWASA and several <br />voluntary agriculture districts. He said that the MTP would work in conjunction with the <br />existing telecommunications ordinance. As the MTP is adopted, it can be amended each <br />year. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked haw many cell tower applications were pending and Craig <br />Benedict said three by AT&T Wireless. One is in Bingham Township near Bradshaw <br />Quarry Road, one is in Cedar Grove Township near Pentecost Road, and the third is off <br />Lake Orange Road. <br />Commissioner Jacobs asked about the going rate far a private property owner that has a <br />tower on their land. Craig Benedict said that it is very unique. Some information is <br />proprietary, where the applicant does not want their competitors to know how much they <br />are paying for leasing. There is a potential revenue stream for the County by using County <br />owned sites for towers. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that he understands that there is no procedural advantage for <br />these properties compared to other undesignated sites, but having a map with sites implies <br />that the sites are preferred. He is concerned that there should be a clear component that <br />