Source: https://ecode360.com/28092936
Timestamp: 2020-06-06 01:36:36
Document Index: 350643158

Matched Legal Cases: ['§ 295', '§ 295', '§ 295', '§ 295', '§ 295', '§ 295', '§ 295', '§ 295', '§ 295', '§ 295', '§ 295']

Village of Hobart, WI Telecommunications Antennas and Towers
Ch 295 Art XXXII Telecommunications Antennas and Towers
§ 295-345 Definitions.
§ 295-346 Applicability.
§ 295-347 General guidelines and requirements.
§ 295-348 Permitted uses.
§ 295-349 Conditional use permits.
§ 295-350 Removal of abandoned antennas and towers.
Village of Hobart, WI / Part III: Land Use Legislation / Zoning
Article XXXII Telecommunications Antennas and Towers
Man-made structures such as light poles, elevated tanks, electric utility transmission line towers, nonresidential buildings, and similar alternative-design mounting structures that camouflage or conceal the presence of antennas or towers.
Any exterior apparatus designed for telephonic, radio, or television communications through the sending and/or receiving of electromagnetic waves.
The Village Board of the Village of Hobart.
[Amended 1-6-2015 by Ord. No. 01-2015]
When referring to a tower or other structure, the distance measured from ground level to the highest point on the tower or other structure, even if said highest point is an antenna.
PREEXISTING TOWERS AND ANTENNAS
The meaning set forth in § 295-346D of this article.
Any structure that is designed and constructed primarily for the purpose of supporting one or more antennas, including self-supporting lattice towers, guy towers, or monopole towers. The term includes radio and television transmission towers, microwave towers, common-carrier towers, cellular telephone towers, PCS towers, alternative tower structures, and the like.
District height limitations. The requirements set forth in this section shall govern the location of towers that exceed, and antennas that are installed at, a height in excess of the height limitations specified for each zoning district. The height limitations applicable to buildings and structures shall not apply to towers and antenna; however, in no case shall any tower exceed the following height limitations:
For a single user: up to 90 feet in height;
For two users: up to 120 feet in height; and
For three or more users: up to 150 feet in height.
Public property. Antennas or towers located on property owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by the Village Board shall be exempt from the requirements of this section, provided a license or lease authorizing such antenna or tower has been approved by the Village Board.
Amateur radio; receive-only antennas. This section shall not govern any tower, or the installation of any antenna, that is under 70 feet in height and is owned and operated by a federally licensed amateur radio station operator or is used exclusively as a receive-only antenna.
Preexisting towers and antennas. Any tower or antenna for which a permit has been properly issued prior to the effective date of this section shall not be required to meet the requirements of this article other than the requirements of § 295-347E and F. Any such towers or antennas shall be referred to in this section as "preexisting towers" or "preexisting antennas."
Purpose; goal. The purpose of this section is to establish general guidelines for the siting of towers and antennas. The goals of this section are to:
Encourage the location of towers in nonresidential areas and minimize the total number of towers throughout the community;
Strongly encourage the joint use of new and existing tower sites;
Encourage users of towers and antennas to configure them in a way that minimizes the adverse visual impact of the towers and antennas; and
Enhance the ability of the providers of telecommunications services to provide such services to the community quickly, effectively, and efficiently.
Principal or accessory use. Antennas and towers may be considered either principal or accessory uses. A different existing use or an existing structure on the same lot shall not preclude the installation of an antenna or tower on such lot. For purposes of determining whether the installation of a tower or antenna complies with district development regulations, including but not limited to setback requirements, lot coverage requirements, and other such requirements, the dimensions of the entire lot shall control, even though the antennas or towers may be located on leased parcels within such lots. Towers that are constructed, and antennas that are installed, in accordance with the provisions of this section shall not be deemed to constitute the expansion of a nonconforming use or structure.
Inventory of existing sites. Each applicant for an antenna and or tower shall provide to the Planning and Zoning Commission an inventory of its existing towers that are either within the jurisdiction of the Village Board, or within one mile of the border thereof, including specific information about the location, height, and design of each tower. The Planning and Zoning Commission may share such information with other applicants applying for administrative approvals or conditional use permits under this section or other organizations seeking to locate antennas within the jurisdiction of the Village Board; provided, however, that the Planning and Zoning Commission is not, by sharing such information, in any way representing or warranting that such sites are available or suitable.
Aesthetics and lighting. The guidelines set forth in this subsection shall govern the location of all towers, and the installation of all antennas, governed by this section; provided, however, that the Village Board may waive these requirements if it determines that the goals of this section are better served thereby.
Towers shall maintain a galvanized steel finish or, subject to any applicable standards of the FAA, be painted a neutral color so as to reduce visual obtrusiveness.
At a tower site, the design of the buildings and related structures shall, to the extent possible use materials, colors, textures, screening, and landscaping that will blend the tower facilities to the natural setting and built environment.
If an antenna is installed on a structure other than a tower, the antenna and supporting electrical and mechanical equipment must be of a neutral color that is identical to, or closely compatible with, the color of the supporting structure so as to make the antenna and related equipment as visually unobtrusive as possible.
Towers shall not be artificially lighted, unless required by the FAA or other applicable authority. If lighting is required, the Village Board may review the available lighting, alternatives and approve the design that would cause the least disturbance to the surrounding views.
Towers and antennas shall not be used for displaying any advertising. If FCC rules require that the owner's name be shown on the tower or antenna, it shall be posted no more than six feet above the ground on a placard no larger than 1 1/2 square feet.
Federal and state requirements. All towers must meet or exceed current standards and regulations of the FAA, the FCC, and any other agency of the federal and state government with the authority to regulate towers and antennas. If such standards and regulations are changed, then the owners of the towers and antennas governed by this article shall bring such towers and antennas into compliance with such revised standards and regulations within six months of the effective date of such standards and regulations, unless a more stringent compliance schedule is managed by the controlling federal agency. Failure to bring towers and antennas into compliance with such revised standards and regulations shall constitute grounds for the removal of the tower or antenna by the Village Board at the expense of the tower or antenna owner, or at the expense of the property owner in the case where the owner of the tower or antenna is leasing the property upon which the tower or antenna is installed.
Building codes, safety standards. To ensure the structural integrity of towers, the owner of a tower shall ensure that it is maintained in compliance with standards contained in applicable state and local building codes, and the applicable standards for towers that are published by the Electronic Industries Association, as amended from time to time. If upon inspection the Village Board concludes that a tower fails to comply with such codes and standards and constitutes a danger to persons or property, then upon notice being provided to the owner of the tower, the owner shall have 30 days to bring such tower into compliance with such standards. If the owner fails to bring such tower into compliance within said 30 days, the Village Board may remove such tower at the expense of the tower or antenna owner, or at the expense of the property owner in the case where the owner of the tower or antenna is leasing the property upon which the tower or antenna is installed.
General. The uses listed in this section are deemed to be permitted uses and shall not require a conditional use permit. Nevertheless, all such uses shall comply with § 295-347 of this article and all other applicable sections.
Specific permitted uses. The following uses are specifically permitted:
Installing an antenna on an existing structure other than a tower (such as elevated tanks, electric utility transmission line towers, or nonresidential buildings), so long as said additional antenna adds no more than 20 feet to the height of said existing structure; and
Installing an antenna on an existing tower or any height, including a preexisting tower, and further including the placement of additional buildings or other supporting equipment used in connection with said antenna, so long as the addition of said antenna adds no more than 20 feet to the height of said existing tower.
General. The following provisions shall govern conditional use permits:
If the tower or antenna is not a permitted use under § 295-348 of this article, then a conditional use permit shall be required prior to construction of any tower or the placement of any antenna.
Towers and antennas may only be located in the Agricultural, Exclusive Agricultural, Limited Industrial and Industrial Park Zoning Districts. Conditional use permits for towers and antennas proposed in the Exclusive Agricultural Zoning District may only be approved if all the criteria identified in § 295-213B(1) are applicable.
[Amended 12-16-2014]
If a conditional use permit is granted, the Village Board may impose conditions to the extent the Village Board concludes such conditions are necessary to minimize any adverse effect of the proposed tower on adjoining properties.
Any information of an engineering nature that the applicant submits, whether civil, mechanical, or electrical shall be certified by a licensed professional engineer.
Information required. Each applicant requesting a conditional use permit under this section shall submit a scaled site plan and a scaled elevation view and other supporting drawings, calculations, and other documentation, signed and sealed by appropriate licensed professionals, showing the location and dimensions of all improvements, including information concerning topography frequency coverage, tower height requirements, setbacks, drives, parking, fencing, landscaping, adjacent uses, and other information deemed by the Village Board to be necessary to assess compliance with this section.
Factors considered in granting conditional use permits. The Village Board shall consider the following factors in determining whether to issue a conditional use permit, although the Village Board may waive or reduce the burden on the applicant of one or more of these criteria if the Village Board concludes that the goals of this section are better served thereby:
Capacity of the tower structure for additional antenna equipment to accommodate expansion, or to allow for co-location of another provider's equipment;
Availability of suitable existing towers and other structures as discussed in Subsection D of this section.
Availability of suitable existing towers or other structures. No new tower shall be permitted unless the applicant demonstrates to the reasonable satisfaction of the Village Board that no existing tower or structure can accommodate the applicant's proposed antenna. Evidence submitted to demonstrate that no existing tower or structure can accommodate the applicant's proposed antenna may consist of any of the following:
No existing towers or structures are located within the geographic area required to meet applicant's engineering requirements.
Existing, towers or structures are not of sufficient height to meet applicant's engineering requirements.
Existing towers or structures do not have sufficient structural strength to support applicant's proposed antenna and related equipment.
The applicant's proposed antenna would cause electromagnetic interference with the antenna on the existing towers or structures, or the antenna on the existing towers or structures would cause interference with the applicant's proposed antenna.
The fees, costs, or contractual provisions required by the owner to share an existing tower or structure or to adapt an existing tower or structure for sharing are unreasonable. Costs exceeding new tower development are presumed to be unreasonable.
The applicant demonstrates that there are other limiting factors that render existing towers and structures unsuitable.
Setbacks and separation. The following setbacks and separation requirements shall apply to all towers and antennas for which a conditional use permit is required; provided, however, that the Village Board may reduce the standard setbacks and separation requirements if the goals of this section would be better served thereby.
Towers must be set back a distance equal to the height of the tower from any off-site residential structure.
Towers, guys, and accessory facilities must satisfy the minimum zoning district setback requirements.
Landscaping. The following requirements shall govern the landscaping surrounding towers for which a conditional use permit is required; provided, however, that the Village Board may waive such requirements if the goals of this section would be better served thereby.
Tower facilities shall be landscaped with a mixture of deciduous and evergreen trees and shrubs that effectively screens the view of the tower compound from adjacent residential property. The standard buffer shall consist of a landscaped strip at least four feet wide outside the perimeter of the compound.
Existing mature tree growth and natural land forms on the site shall be preserved to the maximum extent possible. In some cases, such as towers sited on large wooded lots, natural growth around the property perimeter may be sufficient buffer.
Any antenna or tower that is not operated for a continuous period of 12 months shall be considered abandoned, and the owner of such antenna or tower shall remove same within 90 days of receipt of notice from the Village Board notifying the owner of such abandonment. If such antenna or tower is not removed within said 90 days, the Village Board may remove such antenna or tower at the expense of the tower or antenna owner, or at the expense of the property owner in the case where the owner of the tower or antenna is leasing the property upon which the tower or antenna is installed. If there are two or more users of a single tower, then this provision shall not become effective until all users cease using the tower.