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...,.::.. ...�:: _ ..... .........__ ..__ _ . _ _ .. _ __. _.._ - - - -- <br />a <br />FUG-27-2002 3 :lepM ORANGE CTY MGR N0.913 <br />t <br />.s <br />COMMENTS REGARDING THE ORDINANCE TO AMEND THE ZONING <br />ORDINANCE OF. ORANGE COUNTY REGARDING <br />COMMUNICATIONS TOWERS <br />(/'; 6/1 1S/24 j0L. <br />1. APPROVAL PROCESS. As written, the Ordinance contemplates <br />all applications seeking approval of communications towers less <br />than One Hundred Fifty (150') feet In height be heard by the <br />Board of Adjustments, and all communications towers greater <br />than One. Hundred Fifty 0 501) feet in height be heard by the <br />County Commissioners. There is no logical basis for this <br />bifurcated approval process. The Board of Adjustments will be <br />just as well. suited to hear applications for the taller <br />communications towers. It will likewise be a more experienced <br />board to hear such applications since it has so in the past until <br />this time. The Board of Adjustments should be treated as a <br />quasi-judicial board, which makes for a more formal and judicial <br />setting in the hearing of the special use application. The Board <br />of Adjustments will act upon evidence taken and apply that <br />evidence to the standards promulgated by the County <br />Commissioners. The applications to be heard are technical <br />applications, to be decided upon by objective standards. It is <br />unnecessary for the County Commissioners, policy makers, to <br />be burdened with this extra responsibility, and for a technical <br />application to be potentially treated as a political issue, <br />2. LIMITATIONS ON HEARING DATES. Section 8.4.1.x. Limiting <br />hearing dates to twice per year is not warranted. likewise, it is <br />not fair that every proposed communications tower be <br />presented in January of each year. An annual meeting for <br />carriers to discuss -plans for the year, to the extent they have <br />been defined, is a good idea. But is it is not fair to limit <br />applications to those communications towers which have been <br />Identified in January of each year. None of us is that wise and <br />foreseeing in all cases. The following points are made in <br />support of these statements. <br />a. The Speed of Light. Wireless communications operates <br />at the speed of light literally. Wireless deployments take <br />pace at break neck speeds. This is a fast paced industry. <br />The quick pace is driven by many factors, including, but <br />not limited to, the demands of existing customers for <br />better coverage, the demands of existing customers for <br />new and additional services, the need. to meet the <br />growing capacity demands of the wireless network, the <br />obligation to meet the expectations of capital markets in <br />90 <br />Zp <br />