Orange County NC Website
Article 5: Uses <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 />(1) 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 />