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30 <br /> LYNCH, EATMAN & TWIDDY, L.L.P. <br /> • LAWYERS <br /> SUITE 195, CAROLINA PLACE <br /> 2626 GLENWOOD AVENUE <br /> RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA 27608 <br /> 919/571-3332 <br /> FAX 919/571-9983 <br /> MARIA M. LYNCH MAILING AOORESS; <br /> JEROME R. EATMAN, JR. POST OFFICE BOX 30515 <br /> CURTIS A. Twloov RALEIGH, NC 27622-0515 <br /> KATHERINE B. WILKERSON <br /> ALBERT M. BENSHOFF <br /> July 23, 1996 <br /> Chair Joan Jobsis, Orange County Planning Board <br /> Vice Chair Karen Barrows <br /> Leo Allison, S.A.M. Brooks, Margaret Brown <br /> H. Paul Hoecke, Cheryl Howie, Arnie Katz, <br /> Renee Price, Cherie Rosemond, Robert Strayhorn, <br /> Elizabeth Waiters <br /> RE: Zoning Ordinance Text Amendments in Regard to <br /> Telecommunication Towers <br /> Dear Chair and Planning Board Members: <br /> Based on the terms of the proposed amendments and the comments <br /> of the staff found in the Telecommunication Tower's Response to November <br /> 27, 1995 Public Hearing Comments, the primary purpose of the proposed <br /> amendments appears to be to minimize the number of new towers in Orange <br /> County. The comments made by the staff and others at the recent public <br /> hearings also seem to indicate that there is concern over construction of <br /> unnecessary communications towers in Orange County. While most of the <br /> proposed amendments do not present serious problems for the industry, <br /> we are concerned that they have little prospect for accomplishing the <br /> County's desired results. <br /> The staff has done an excellent job in studying this issue and in <br /> looking at the way other jurisdictions have approached the problem of tower <br /> proliferation. Unfortunately, very few jurisdictions have approached this <br /> issue in any comprehensive manner and, as a result, the desired results are <br /> seldom achieved. Many areas have been successful in making the process <br /> extremely burdensome and costly for the industry, but none have <br /> substantially reduced the number of towers constructed in their community. <br /> The best that can be achieved, particularly in light of the <br /> Telecommunications Act of 1996, which eliminates prohibition of new <br /> towers as an option, is to regulate the siting of transmission facilities in a <br /> way which will achieve the best possible mitigation of the appearance of <br />