Orange County NC Website
Article 5: Uses 27 <br /> Section 5.10: Standards for Telecommunication Facilities <br /> (m) An Applicant may be required to submit an Environmental Assessment <br /> Analysis and a Visual addendum. Based on the results of the Analysis, <br /> including the Visual addendum,the County may require submission of a <br /> more detailed visual analysis. The scope of the required Environmental <br /> and Visual Assessment will be reviewed at the pre-application meeting. <br /> (n) If required, a Visual Impact Assessment,which shall include: <br /> (i) A"Zone of Visibility Map" shall be provided in order to determine <br /> locations from which the tower may be seen. <br /> (ii) Panorama photo simulations of the proposed wireless support <br /> structure, superimposed on the existing landscape, to scale, <br /> showing "before and after"views including but not limited to <br /> State highways and other major roads; State and local parks; <br /> other public lands; historic districts; preserves and historic sites <br /> normally open to the public; and from any other location where <br /> the site is visible to a large number of visitors, travelers or <br /> residents <br /> (iii) An assessment of the visual impact of the wireless support <br /> structure base, guy wires and accessory buildings from abutting <br /> and adjacent properties and streets shall be considered to <br /> determine the need of screening. <br /> (o) All applications shall contain a demonstration that the wireless support <br /> structure is sited so as to have the least visually intrusive effect <br /> reasonably possible and thereby have the least adverse visual effect on <br /> the environment and its character, on existing vegetation, and on the <br /> residences in the area of the telecommunications tower. <br /> (p) A statement, prepared by a professional engineer licensed in the State of <br /> North Carolina, which through rational engineering analysis, certifies the <br /> tower's compliance with applicable standards as set forth in the State of <br /> North Carolina Building Code, and any associated regulations; and <br /> describes the tower's capacity, including an example of the number and <br /> type of antennas it can accommodate. <br /> (4) Standards of Evaluation <br /> (a) The telecommunications equipment planned for the proposed wireless <br /> support structures cannot be accommodated on an existing wireless <br /> support structures due to one or more of the following reasons: <br /> (i) The planned equipment would exceed the structural capacity of <br /> existing and approved wireless support structures, considering <br /> existing and planned use of those wireless support structures <br /> and the wireless support structures cannot be reinforced to <br /> accommodate planned or equivalent equipment at a reasonable <br /> cost. <br /> (ii) The planned equipment would cause radio frequency <br /> interference with other existing or planned equipment for these <br /> wireless support structures, and the interference cannot be <br /> prevented at a reasonable cost. <br /> (iii) Existing or approved wireless support structures do not have <br /> space on which the equipment can be placed so it can function <br /> effectively and reasonably in parity with similar existing or <br /> approved equipment. <br /> (iv) No tower or other suitable facility exists in an area where the <br /> equipment to be placed on the tower will function in its intended <br /> manner. <br /> Orange County,North Carolina—Unified Development Ordinance Page 5-92 <br />