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PROPOSED ORDINANCE AMENDMENT <br /> ORDINANCE: ZONING ORDINANCE <br /> REFERENCE: ARTICLE 8.8.17a Telecommunication Towers <br /> ARTICLE 4.3 Permitted Use Table <br /> ORIGIN OF AMENDMENT: _X_Staff' Planning Board <br /> BOCC Public <br /> Other: <br /> STAFF PRIORITY RECOMMENDATION: _X_High Middle Low <br /> Comment: <br /> PUBLIC HEARING DATE: November 27, 1995 <br /> CURRENT REGULATIONS <br /> Telecommunications towers are allowed in all residential zoning districts and most non-residential zoning districts upon <br /> approval of a Special Use Permit by the Board of Adjustment. <br /> On October 5, 1994,the Board of Commissioners approved a Zoning Ordinance text amendment to require applicants <br /> to first attempt to lease antenna space on an existing tower, and to agree to lease space to other potential users on <br /> the future if a new tower is approved. The amendment was initiated by the Planning Staff in response to concerns <br /> expressed by the Board of Adjustment and Planning Board. The intent of the amendment was to minimise the <br /> number of new towers by providing for more than one user. Article 8.8.17 of the Zoning Ordinance, containing the <br /> Special Use Permit requirements for communications towers, is attached. <br /> EXISTING TOWERS IN ORANGE COUNTY <br /> There are 11 existing cellular towers in Orange County's planning jurisdiction. Three of the towers,one in Cheeks <br /> Township and two in Little River Township,were constructed prior to the application of zoning regulations. The eight <br /> remaining towers have received Special Use Permit approval since 1989. <br /> The attached map shows the location of the existing cellular towers in Orange County. These towers are currently <br /> owned by one of three companies; Sprint/Centel, Cellular One/GTE, or Dial Call Inc. Each of the three companies <br /> recently indicated to the Planning Staff that it expects to request an additional 1 or 2 towers within a period of about <br /> one year. <br /> The Cellular One tower located near I-85 and Buckhorn Road currently leases antenna space for one additional user <br /> and will lease space to a second user in the near future. There is currently no shared use on any of the Sprint/Centel <br /> towers. <br /> PROJECTED INCREASE IN NUMBER OF TOWERS <br /> The most recent request for a Special Use Permit, approved on October 9, 1995, was submitted by Sprint Cellular. <br /> Included in the application materials was a 4-year plan indicating the approximate location of antenna sites which are <br /> expected to be needed in the vicinity of Orange,Durham and Alamance Counties.Eight sites are indicated in Orange <br /> County's Planning jurisdiction. <br /> As a result of technical advances, a significant increase in the number of tower requests is anticipated in the future. <br /> A major contributor to the anticipated increase is the advent of Personal Communication System (PCS) technology. <br /> PCS is a digital technology which will provide a wider range of services and will operate at a lower power than the <br /> existing cellular service, which operates with an analog technology. Because of the lower power,the PCS towers will <br /> 3 <br />