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M M M he could go with an inexpensively designed and constructed tower which uses the 110% fall radius; on a site where property was at a premium, the applicant could spend more on the design and con- struction of the tower and certify that the tower would collapse in a fall radius as depicted on the plans, maybe 30 - 50% the height of the tower. While these towers can be obtrusive, there are some steps which can be taken to minimize the visual impact in the immediate and surrounding areas. The steps taken can be addressed on a case by case basis through the special exception process. A tower in the St. John's marsh should not need the same degree of landscape buffering as a tower in an industrial area along Rt. 60 or U.S. #1. It was suggested at the workshop that towers in urban or urbanizing areas should be required to create a "parkland -like setting", through intensive landscaping, to minimize the immediate ground level obtrusiveness of a transmission tower. Besides the tower, itself, lighting is a concern. The FAA, for example, regulates tower lighting strictly for air safety. In an urban or urbanizing area, the lighting scheme could present a potential nuisance for residents in the surrounding area. One remedy to this problem is to install louvers or shields which would prevent the light from shining down. The ordinance only proposes general criteria to address the lighting plan or additional landscape requirements. Staff feels these items need to be considered with each special exception application on a case by case basis. The Planning and Zoning Commission made minor changes to the body of the ordinance and recommended two additional criteria which are now incorporated into the proposed ordinance. The two criteria stem from the Planning and Zoning Commission's concerns for the compatibility of towers with surrounding residential development. The first criterion would increase the surrounding property owners notice to 600' from the project site (increasing the normal 300' notice radius)) and the second is a general criterion concerning the impact of proposed towers on nearby residential neighborhoods. The effect of these criteria is to increase input of nearby property owners and allow the County to specifically consider impacts on residential neighborhoods. RECOMMENDATION Staff recommends that the Board of County Commissioners approve the attached ordinance amendments. Commissioner Bowman was concerned about the birds hitting the guy wires and also about the strobe lights. Chairman Wheeler opened the Public Hearing, and asked if anyone wished to be heard in this matter. JUL 22 5, 1989 35 Rocs F,j 417