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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: February 3, 2004 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. V-1 <br />SUBJECT: Telecommunications Towers Regulations Amendments <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENTS: <br />Proposed Ordinance <br />Draft Minutes Public Hearing November 24, 2003 <br />Draft Minutes Planning Board January 8, 2004 <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Craig N. Benedict, Director, ext. 2592 <br />Robert P. Davis, Planner III, ext. 2580 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 245-2575 <br />Chapel Hill 968-2700 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane (336)227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To receive the Planning Board and Administration recommendations, close the Public <br />Hearing and make a decision on the proposed Telecommunication Towers amendments to Article <br />6.18 and Article 8.8.17a of the Orange County Zoning Ordinance. <br />BACKGROUND: On December 12, 2002, the BOCC amended the Telecommunication Tower <br />portion of the zoning ordinance. Highlights of those amendments included reduction to 150 feet <br />maximum height of Class B Special Use Permit (SUP) approvals, hiring a consultant to review the <br />technical details of proposals, placing a higher emphasis on use of existing structures and the <br />establishment of a Master Telecommunication Plan (MTP) placeholder in the ordinance. During <br />recent review of four Class B SUP telecommunications tower applications by the Board of <br />Adjustment, some minor inconsistencies in the ordinance have become apparent to applicants, the <br />Board and Staff, the consultant and attorneys. These amendments are intended to clarify the parts <br />of the ordinance where there has been less than a clear understanding of the requirements. Also <br />included in these amendments is a revision of the intent, scope and use of the Master <br />Telecommunications Plan (MTP) concept that was previously adopted as a placeholder in the <br />ordinance pending BOCC review and approval. <br />These proposed amendments to Article 6.18 (Telecommunication Towers and Equipment) and <br />Article 8.8.17a (Telecommunication Towers) require: <br />1. at the Annual Telecommunications Projection Meeting that the applicant's initial propagation <br />studies begin with co-locations on existing structures and then follow the preferred hierarchy; <br />2, photo simulations to be submitted at time of application; <br />3. balloon photos and panorama photos to be filed at time of application; <br />4. payment of $1,000 into the escrow account at pre-application meeting to cover fees incurred <br />by consultant prior to formal application submittal; <br />5. propagation studies, to scale, of entire network using the hierarchy of preferred locations- <br />6, . Revised standards of evaluation in Section 8.8.17a.2 to establish a hierarchy of preferred