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Approved 7/8/2013 OC Board of Adjustment – 6/10/2013 Page 80 of 92 1 Larry Wright: Can you build a higher tower? 2 3 Stephen Howard: Not according to the ordinance. 4 5 Karen Kemerait: We could build a higher tower but if it was above 199 feet it would have to be lit 6 according to FAA requirements and I think American Tower and the belief is that it would be 7 preferable not to have a tower that would be lit. Even if you had a taller tower, it wouldn’t provide a 8 larger expanse of coverage. The ordinance is written in a way to encourage towers less than 200 9 feet because once they are 200 feet so they won’t be lit, then they come before the Board of 10 Adjustment quasi-judicial proceeding. 11 12 Michael Harvey: You have to remember that we have multiple classifications of tower processes in 13 our code. A 200 foot tall and higher tower has to use the Class A Special Use Permit process, 14 meaning it goes before the BOCC and Planning Board during one of four scheduled quarterly public 15 hearings in February, May, August, typically, sometimes in September and November with the 16 Planning Board making a recommendation. There is also a requirement if a tower goes over 200 feet 17 that it has to be illuminated and I would make a statement that just because you have a taller tower 18 does not guarantee signal strength so going over 200 feet does not guarantee anything. The 19 applicant proposed a tower consistent with the Class B Special Use Permit process. They are correct 20 in that we have a preference for non-illuminated towers because of the issues they present to local 21 property owners and residents. They have chosen to go through this process consistent with the 22 code. 23 24 Larry Wright: What concerns me is all this other white. 25 26 Stephen Howard: What is not shown on here because it has not been proposed yet is there is a co-27 location proposed further down Jones Ferry Road southwest of this location. It is an existing tower 28 located at 3995 Jones Ferry Road. As you can see from the maps, as you go west along Old 29 Greensboro Road, there is virtually no coverage and the signal strength drops off quite a bit and there 30 is not much out there so you can see where the sites are located. This is the next step down Jones 31 Ferry Road, there is another co-location that will be proposed. 32 33 Larry Wright: Okay. 34 35 Stephen Howard: Eventually as the design plans mature and evolve, we will be proposing sites along 36 Old Greensboro Road. Don’t know the exact time frame. 37 38 Larry Wright: I know it is really problematic out there. 39 40 Karen Kemerait: This is a step in the process where AT&T is working to provide that coverage in the 41 County because we recognize there is insufficient coverage especially in the rural areas of the 42 county. This is an important step in providing that coverage. 43 44 Samantha Cabe: You are also close to the Chatham line and there may be towers built in Chatham 45 that help. 46 47 Stephen Howard: It is safe to say we are working in Chatham County to find co-locations and areas 48 that may be acceptable. 49 50 Larry Wright: For the record, reflect the maps that are displayed here. 51 52 Karen Kemerait: Those propagation maps are located under tab 20 of the application. 53