7/25/1989 - Laserfiche WebLink

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r- i J U L 2,, Mr.. / PA;E416 ANALYSIS Staff has reviewed the applicant's request and feels that radio transmission towers should be made special exception uses in the IL and IG (general industrial) zoning districts. Since radio transmission towers are facilities which are accessory and custom- ary to a wide variety of uses which would be permitted uses in the IL and IG zoning districts, it makes sense for these uses to have their own on-site radio transmission capabilities. Due to the increased height and potential for high voltage, however, criteria are necessary to control the location and appearance of radio towers in order to protect the health, safety, and welfare of the general public and ensure compatibility with other permitted uses in the zoning districts where they are allowed. In particular, transmission tower location, construction and use are characteristics which can be regulated . For example, transmission towers would ,not be appropriate on many of the smaller subdivided lots zoned IL and IG, but they would be appropriate on large industrial tracts where the radio tower would be contained within an industrial complex or compound. These criteria can best be addressed through making transmission towers special exception uses. Presently, Section 25.1(s)(3) provides for special exception approval to locate radio transmission towers in the A-1 (agricul- tural) zoning district. The special exception criteria which apply to the location and construction of these towers would adequately regulate towers in the IL and IG zoning districts with only minor modifications to the criteria. The minor changes would set forth more specific criteria for the "fall radius" waiver which is presently incorporated into the Code. The current waiver language allows accommodation of tower fall radii less than 1100 of the total tower height. New more specific criteria would ensure that in no case would the design fall radius of a tower encroach on an existing residential struc- ture or residentially zoned property. The second change would delete the A-1 district prohibition of vehicle storage and equip- ment -,storage, since these are permitted uses on IL and IG zoned property. During the tower workshop, most discussion centered on three topics; the regulatory requirements (FAA, FCC, local authorities); the need for tight, yet flexible criteria for transmission towers, and aesthetic criteria that apply when towers are proposed in developed or developing parts of the County. The participants indicated that FCC and FAA regulations as well as engineering placement criteria will substantially reduce the allowable sites suitable for tower locations in a given service area. It was noted that expanding communications technology and its corresponding demand in Indian River County will necessitate additional transmission towers to provide these communication services. Workshop participants expressed the need for tight yet flexible local regulations that would allow businesses to meet the demand for new communication technologies despite the reduced number of feasible tower locations approvable by the Federal agencies The added waiver criteria should provide the flexibility needed to accommodate the location of future towers and provide for the health and safety of any nearby residents. The new criteria would permit applicants to tailor the engineering of the tower to a specific site. For example, if an applicant had a thousand acres 34 M M M