Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
The Board of Adjustment reviewed the draft ordinance on August 12, 2002. The Board's <br />primary concern was the restriction of the telecommunication application processing to two <br />meetings per year. The Board felt that applications should be filed and processed on an as <br />needed basis so that the workflow was even rather than point loaded at specific meetings. <br />Some Board members questioned the need for annual inspections after a tower is approved <br />and constructed. <br />PROPOSED AMENDMENTS: <br />New Provisions: <br />A) Height and User Amendments <br />1. Lowers height of Special Use Permit, Class B (less than 4 users), from 200 feet to 150 <br />feet maximum. <br />2. Maintains height of Special Use Permit, Class B (4 -user minimum), of less than 200 feet <br />if the tower is designed and reserved for up to four users. Provides incentives and <br />promotes co- location on existing and proposed towers. <br />3. Require towers greater than 150 feet height (with less than 4 users) to be processed as <br />a Special Use Permit, Class A, which is processed through the Planning Board & Board <br />of County Commissioners. <br />B) An Annual Telecommunications Projection Meeting (ATPM) required prior to <br />December 31 between telecommunication providers and Planning Staff <br />1. Determines the telecommunication industry's needs in Orange County for the coming <br />year. <br />2. Will allow Staff and consultant to review industry needs and proposals to determine if <br />co- location opportunities exist on existing facilities or on proposed new towers. <br />3. No applications will be accepted during the following year unless the tower was <br />identified and discussed in the ATPM. [Exception: Unforeseen Events /Circumstances] <br />4. Ordinance proposes bi- annual processing of telecommunication tower applications <br />a. Board of Adjustment to hear cases as submitted in accordance with ATPM review <br />1. The ordinance has been revised to allow filing of applications at any time <br />provided the site was submitted and discussed at the ATPM. <br />b. Board of County Commissioners to hear cases at either the May or November <br />Quarterly Public Hearings depending on submittal date of the application. <br />1. The same requirements for review as exist for the Board of Adjustment. <br />C) Ordinance promotes co- location of antenna(s) on existing buildings, transmission <br />towers, utility poles, and similar structures through lower fees and Staff approval <br />1. Engineer's sealed drawings required prior to staff issuance of any permit for antenna(s). <br />2. Maximum height of antenna(s) above structure height set at twenty- (20) feet. <br />3. Encourages stealth facilities; justification required if stealth antenna(s) is not proposed. <br />4. Limits any accessory buildings /structures pertaining to either tower(s) or antenna(s) to <br />600 square feet per user with a maximum height of 12 feet. <br />D) Ordinance has higher technical standards for tower review at both the Special Use <br />Permit and the Building Permit application stages <br />1. As a result of higher technical standards the County will need to contract with a <br />telecommunication consultant for technical expertise regarding telecommunication <br />towers. (Board comments noted this need previously.) <br />