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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ~ ~; <br />and <br />PLANNING BOARD <br />PUBLIC HEARING AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: May 27, 2003 <br />Action Agenda <br />Item No. ~_ <br />SUBJECT Orange County Master Telecommunications Plan (MTP) <br />DEPARTMENT: Planning and Inspections PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) Yes <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Process Used to Identify Potential Sites INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />November 25, 2002, Public Hearing Craig N. Benedict, ext 2592 <br />Minutes Tom King, ext. 2607 <br />Copy of Letter of Interest Mailed to TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Owners of Identified Properties Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Map of Initially Indicated Sites Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Listing of Sites Still Under Consideration Durham 688-7331 <br />Proposed Master Telecommunications Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />Plan Ma <br />PURPOSE: To receive citizen comment on the proposed Master Telecommunications Plan <br />(MTP). <br />BACKGROUND: Planning Staff have been working on the preparation of a map that identifies <br />properties that may be suitable for inclusion in the initial adoption of the Orange County Master <br />Telecommunications Plan (Wireless Tower Element )(MTP). An MTP pre-identifies properties <br />that are reasonable for tower locations and serve a public function or benefit. Recent <br />amendments to the Zoning Ordinance currently provides a "place holder" for the adoption of an <br />MTP should the BOCC desire to adopt such a plan now or in the future. If the County does not <br />approve an MTP, the adopted `telco' zoning ordinance can still function, but without the <br />efficiency in tower location that an MTP could provide through multiple use public function sites. <br />The Federal 1996 Telecommunications Act set forth a new regulatory framework for the <br />deployment of telecommunication facilities. In essence, the federal government wanted to limit <br />the authority of local government regulation that created a "barrier to entry" of new "telco" <br />facilities that would create the nationwide public interest "information highway". Since then, all <br />local governments have grappled with the limits of their authority in this field to protect their local <br />interests through zoning. As a result, local regulations have been pushed to a somewhat <br />uncharted limit of authority that has led to hundreds of legal interpretations and court rulings <br />that sought to resolve the balance intended in the 1996 Telco Act. <br />G:\Curcent Planning Div\Tking\Abstract.MTP.May 27, 2003 PH <br />