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Article 5: Uses <br />Section 5.10. Standards for Telecommunication Facilities <br />(d) The Inspections Division may conduct periodic inspections of <br />telecommunications towers to ensure electrical integrity. The owner of <br />the telecommunication tower may be required by the County to have <br />more frequent inspections should there be reason to believe that the <br />electrical integrity of the tower is jeopardized. The County reserves the <br />right to require additional inspections if there is evidence that the tower <br />has a safety problem or is exposed to extraordinary conditions. <br />(e) Any tower found, through inspection by the owner or by inspection of the <br />Inspections Division, to be structurally unsafe and cannot be brought into <br />compliance within 180 days shall be removed at the owner's expense. <br />(f) Current or former EIA standards shall apply to the addition of antennas <br />or other appurtenances to communications towers under the following <br />conditions: <br />(i) Additions to towers constructed prior to the effective date of this <br />Ordinance, regardless of whether the additions are accounted for <br />in the original design, shall comply with the current EIA <br />standards, and the wind loading specified therein. Additions to <br />towers constructed subsequent to the effective date of this <br />Ordinance shall comply with standards set forth elsewhere in this <br />Section. <br />(ii) Existing towers that will not have any additional attached <br />appurtenances shall at a minimum comply with the EIA <br />standards in existence at the time the tower was erected. <br />(iii) Replacement of antennas or other appurtenances shall at a <br />minimum comply with the EIA standard in existence at the time <br />the tower was erected if the replacement does not add to the <br />original design loading. <br />(iv) If a structural analysis shows a tower is not in compliance with <br />the appropriate EIA standards, the owner shall submit an <br />application to the Inspections Division with a plan to bring the <br />tower into compliance within six months. <br />(v) Analysis of Existing Towers <br />a. Within 12 months of the effective date of this Ordinance <br />an analysis commissioned by tower owners and <br />prepared by a North Carolina Licensed Professional <br />Engineer (P.E. Analysis) shall be performed on all <br />towers in excess of 100 feet in height and shall be <br />submitted to the Inspections Division. <br />b. The analysis shall determine the tower's compliance or <br />lack thereof with the EIA standard in effect at the time <br />the tower was constructed and when the most recent <br />structural loading change was made. <br />C. For all towers less than six years old, a current existing <br />P.E. analysis of the tower may be submitted in lieu of the <br />new P. E. analysis required above. <br />d. If the tower does not meet the aforementioned EIA <br />standards, the letter or existing P.E. analysis shall <br />include the types of modifications that would be required <br />to bring the tower up to standard. <br />e. All existing towers shall be subject to the annual <br />electrical inspection conducted by the Inspections <br />Division including any associated inspection fees. <br />Orange County, North Carolina — Unified Development Ordinance Page 5 -100 <br />