Orange County NC Website
4 <br />negatively impacted local residents. <br />Section 5.10.2 of the UDO enables Orange County to develop and adopt a Master <br />Telecommunications Plan Map (hereafter 'Plan') in an effort to address these <br />deficiencies. <br />The purpose of the Plan is to display properties where owners have expressed, <br />interest in allowing wireless telecommunication facilities to be constructed. The <br />BOCC first reviewed the Plan at its February 29, 2011 Joint Quarterly Public Hearing <br />and adopted it subsequently. <br />According to Sub - section 5.10.2(D)(2) of the UDO, additions or modifications to the <br />Plan are reviewed annually, as warranted, by the BOCC at the February Quarterly <br />Public Hearing. Applications to add to withdraw from or otherwise modify the Plan <br />are required to be filed with the Planning Director prior to December 1St of each year. <br />The need for public safety, wireless broadband, and information technology <br />connectivity continues to be in high demand. <br />Adoption, or subsequent modification, of the Plan does not include approval of a <br />specific cell tower development project. Rather, the Plan in conjunction with the <br />guidelines found in Section 5.10.6 of the UDO provides an administrative mechanism <br />to encourage cell tower providers to work as partners to improve broadband and <br />emergency service in the rural portions of the County. <br />Telecommunication support structures are still required to adhere to the various <br />development standards detailed within Section 5.10.8 of the UDO. This includes <br />adherence to the following requirements: <br />a. Development of a site plan denoting the location of the proposed tower, <br />setback distances, fall zone requirements, etc, <br />b. A landscape plan denoting the planting of require foliage for the tower, <br />c. Draft bond agreements for the project, <br />d. Data concerning possible environmental impact, and <br />e. All other required documentation detailed within the UDO. <br />Further, all telecommunication support structures located on County property are <br />required to adhere to initial notification and testing requirements, including the <br />holding of a properly advertised balloon test, the completion of an Environmental <br />Assessment, and the holding of a neighborhood information meeting to inform local <br />residents of the pending application. <br />2. Analysis <br />The Plan essentially serves as a marketing tool to allow the County to provide some <br />direction on where available properties, suitable for the development of wireless support <br />structures, are located. Available properties include those where existing property <br />owners have expressed formal, written, interest in allowing for the development of a <br />wireless support structure. <br />2 <br />