Orange County NC Website
<br />OC Board of Adjustment – 6/8/2015 Page 32 of 68 <br />Bob Hornik: I’m not trying to make any correlation between the propagation and the search ring but I do want to poi nt 1 <br />out that…the purpose of the search ring theoretically is that citing a tower within the search ring will satisfy or achieve 2 <br />the applicant’s objectives to provide coverage that is still straight by the propagation study. I suppose the point of this 3 <br />particular photograph and this information is that more than 90 percent of this search ring is located in Durham County ; 4 <br />only 9 percent is in Orange County. A good portion of the area supposedly covered is located in Durham County, some 5 <br />in Orange County, no question about it. The applicant hasn’t demonstrated any investigation of other locations that 6 <br />may be suitable in Durham County or elsewhere. They really said this was the site and that is a bout it and I think that is 7 <br />important for the board’s consideration when you look at the criteria when you are supposed to apply to make a 8 <br />determination on the application. 9 <br /> 10 <br />Samantha Cabe: Is there something in the statute or ordinance that allows us to require them to look outside their 11 <br />search ring. 12 <br /> 13 <br />Bob Hornik: I don’t think there is anything that neither the statute nor ordinance that requires you…well the ordinance 14 <br />talks about the two mile radius but I think the statute limits you a little bit with r espect to the search rings. I don’t 15 <br />disagree with Tom’s saying it is about the impact of the statute on that. This case and this application, I really think, 16 <br />boils down to two points for the board’s consideration. I think it is hard to argue under 5.3.2 (A).1 that cell tower and cell 17 <br />service generally promotes the public health safety and welfare. I’m not going to focus on those two criteria. The two 18 <br />criteria that I am more concerned about are subparagraphs 2 and 3 . Subparagraph 2 deals with the impact and 19 <br />whether the proposed cell tower will enhance or maintain the value of adjoining property. 20 <br /> 21 <br />Tom Johnson: Again, I renew my objection that if he is going to speak to that, that he needs to have an expert, either a 22 <br />real estate expert or an appraiser to give an opinion to contra the appraiser we put up. 23 <br /> 24 <br />Bob Hornik: I’m not going to offer an opinion on that but my point is that I submit to the board that the information 25 <br />presented to you by the applicant who has the burden of proof that it doesn’t satisfy the requirement. It is my confident 26 <br />and substantial evidence that the proposed facility will maintain or enhance the value of contiguous properties. Mr. 27 <br />Smith’s report didn’t even address the impact on any adjoining or contiguous properties. 28 <br /> 29 <br />Larry Wright: Based on ….. 30 <br /> 31 <br />Bob Hornik: Looking at the Lake Hogan Farms tower, that Lake Hogan Farms tower does not abut or adjoin any of the 32 <br />properties that you could use as comparison for this particular site. I submit, we are talking apples and oranges. The 33 <br />Lake Hogan Farms properties and that cell tower are completely different in character, different in factual circumstance 34 <br />than this tower at this location. This tower is a tower in an open field, there is not a stand of trees around it, there is a 35 <br />line of a few trees at the adjoining property line on Ms. Hall’s property. The ___ was going to be out in the field directly 36 <br />across the street from the ____, it’s not the same application or the same affect. 37 <br /> 38 <br />Tom Johnson: Wasn’t Mr. Smith trying to make a correlation between those visibility and non-visibility and showing 39 <br />there was no difference in sales. 40 <br /> 41 <br />Bob Hornik: I think that is what he was trying to do but he did not do it adequately and that his report should n’t be given 42 <br />the weight he would want it be given. The second point is Section 5.3.2(A)2c. 43 <br /> 44 <br />Larry Wright: I would also like to call Mr. Smith because I have another issue. Did you get an assessment to encounter 45 <br />that? 46 <br /> 47 <br />Bob Hornik: We didn’t get an assessment to counter that. We don’t have to prove t hat the tower will have a negative 48 <br />impact on the value of your property. The applicant’s burden of proof is to establish that the tower will enhance or 49 <br />maintain the value of the adjoining property. That is their burden of proof, not our proof. You don’t have to prove the 50