Agenda - 11-27-1995 - C-4-a - Laserfiche WebLink

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a 148 • Jefferson County, Colorado In 1985, A Telecommunications Plan was adopted as a component of the Jefferson County Comprehensive Plan. In October, 1994, the Telecommunication Element was amended to specifically address "low-power mobile radio service", or cellular communication. The Plan provides basic background information concerning cellular technology and establishes general policies to use in developing zoning regulations. Zoning provisions to carry out the recently-adopted policies have not yet been developed. The text of the Telecommunication Plan, however, addresses height, setback, co-location and other issues similar to those included in the ordinances of the other jurisdictions described above. PROPOSED AMENDMENT After reviewing provisions which have been adopted in a number of other jurisdiction,the Planning Staff recommends that the attached amendment be presented for public hearing. A summary of key aspects of the proposed amendment is provided below. 1. Currently, Article 8.8.17 contains Special Use Permit Requirements for radio and television towers, and elevated water storage tanks,all of which require a Class B Special Use Permit. Several provisions of Article 8.8.17 apply only to communication towers. The proposed amendment would establish telecommunication towers,which would include television,radio and cellular towers,as a separate use. Current provisions which pertain to Elevated Water Storage Tanks would remain unchanged. 2. All telecommunication towers now require approval of a Class B Special Use Permit by the Board of Adjustment. The proposed amendment would classify only those towers shorter than 200 feet as a Class B Special Use. Towers 200 feet or taller would require approval of a Class A Special Use Permit by the Board of Commissioners. 3. Adjacent to residential zoning districts, setbacks are proposed to be equal to the tower height. The setback to property lines may be reduced to 50%of the height of the tower if the remaining distance is included within an easement on adjoining property. 4. Adjacent to non-residential zoning districts, the setback must be at least 50% of the tower height. A lesser setback may be approved if an engineer certifies the proposed setbacks contain the potential collapse zone. However, the setbacks may not be reduced to less than the setbacks required by the zoning district, or 20% of tower height, whichever is greater. 5. A Type C Land Use Buffer (40 feet in width) must be provided. Existing vegetation may be removed only to the extent needed to accommodate the use. 6. The applicant must provide specific documentation to indicate that efforts to co-locate on an existing tower were unsuccessful. 7. The applicant must contact other communication providers with an offer to share space. Responses must be documented. Towers must be designed to support at least one additional user, and a statement indicating the applicant's willingness to allow other users to attach to the tower must be included in the Special Use Permit. 8. Towers must be of a wit color that minimises visual impact, and may not be lighted unless required by federal or state law. 9. The tower must be found to not unreasonably interfere with the view from a historic site, scenic road, or major view corridor. 10. Obsolete towers must be removed. 8