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b. Several comments were made indicating this was a ‘bad site’ for a <br />telecommunication facility. <br />c. Several individuals indicated they believed the tower ought to be located in <br />Durham County as it would appear the primary beneficiaries of increased cell <br />service would be Durham County residents. <br />d. Numerous individuals indicated they were worried about the impacts <br />electromagnetic radiation emitted from the proposed tower would have on their <br />health/safety. <br /> STAFF COMMENT: The Federal government has found there is no <br />conclusive evidence demonstrating telecommunication towers generate <br />harmful radiation or have an impact on an individual’s overall health. <br />As a result Federal law prohibits the denial/restriction of telecommunication <br />facility applications based on same. <br />e. Comments were made that as T-Mobile was not a major telecommunication <br />carrier (i.e. not a lot of people used T-Mobile services) erection of a tower was <br />unnecessary. <br /> STAFF COMMENT: This is not a rationale that can be used in acting on <br />this request. <br />f. Objections were made to the proposed location of the tower, specifically the <br />facility would create a ‘visual blight’ for local property owners and motorists. <br /> STAFF COMMENT: Section 5.10.8 (B) (3) of the UDO requires the <br />applicant complete a balloon test demonstrating the location and height of <br />the proposed tower. <br />As part of this test the applicant completed a visual impact assessment <br />demonstrating, through renderings, how the tower would look on the <br />property. This information is contained in Tab(s) 21 and 22 of the <br />application package. <br />g. It was suggested the applicant ought to be forced to erect a ‘stealth’ tower on <br />this site. <br />The example used by many individuals was the disguising of the tower as a <br />‘pine tree’ or other similar construction to assist in ‘hiding’ the structure from <br />view. <br />STAFF COMMENT: A stealth tower is defined within Article 10 Definitions <br />of the UDO as: <br />A design or treatment that minimizes adverse aesthetic and <br />visual impacts on the land, property, buildings, and other <br />facilities adjacent to, surrounding, and in generally the same <br />area as the requested location of such wireless support <br />structures, which shall mean building the least visually and <br />physically intrusive facility that is not technologically or <br />commercially impracticable under the facts and circumstances. <br />Stealth technology includes such technology as Distributed <br />Antenna System (DAS) or its functional equivalent or <br />camouflage where the structure is disguised to make it less <br />57