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HomeMy WebLinkAbout10 WIRELESS COMM FAC 02-02-98DATE: FEBRUARY 2, 1998 NO. 10 2-2-98 Inter-Com(' e ' TO: FROM: SUBJECT: WILLIAM A. HUSTON, CITY MANAGER OFFICE OF THE CITY CLERK ORDINANCE NO. 1192, WIRELESS COMMUNICATION FACILITIES i SUMMAR~i ..... Pi°p°sed"Or'd:inanbe:.:No~!: 1.192::: will establiSh regula:ti0js for'PUblic :~d' ip:ri~:t~ Wireless :"~0m'm:unicati0'n: ;:,'facilitieS, ::in .the City :::of T'uStin~' ~imilar ~, ~:gUl~{i~:~ ~i'~ ~s:~a:511~h~:~ -i~ 0~:g'ency Ordinance No. ~1~1'6'7:~ WhiCh exPireS 'on ~:~'C'h ~j i998; Ordi:nah:ce: :N~:~;;~:1192:. cat'egOrizes WireleSS c'0mmufiication ~i'lit'i'~ ~ ~i~b~:: b~ ?~:~j'b'r :f~bilitibs:; ~all :Pro'prised facilities ~iI1' ~b-q:~ire d-e~ign : ?~i~W ~:~:~fb~:~l;:and ali ~maj'0~:::a'nd· ce:rtain::minor facilities ~Will ~req:bire:d0nditi0nal RECOMMENDATION: Have second reading by title only and adoption of Ordinance No. 1192 (roll call vote). BACKGROUND: The following Ordinance No. 1192 had first reading and introduction at the January 19, 1998 City Council meeting: ORDINANCE NO. 1192 - AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUSTIN, CALIFORNIA, ADOPTING REGULATIONS FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION FACILITIES IN THE CITY OF TUSTIN Valerie Crabill Chief Deputy City Clerk 1 ORDINANCE NO. 1192 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF TUSTIN, ADOPTING REGULATIONS FOR PUBLIC AND PRIVATE WIRELESS COMMUNICATION FACILITIES IN THE CITY OF TUSTIN. The City Council of the City of Tustin does hereby ordain as follows: Section 1. Findinqs. The City Council of the City of Tustin finds and determines-as follows: A, The existing regulations and guidelines for the establishment of wireless communication facilities were adopted on April 15, 1996 by Interim Urgency Ordinance No. 1167. . Interim Urgency Ordinance No. 1167 expires on March 4, 1998. C . The adoption of permanent regulations and guidelines for wireless communication facilities will serve to reduce the potential for negative impacts on the community. n . Failure to implement wireless communication regulations through the adoption of this ordinance will result in a substantial number of wireless communication facilities being installed or modified without controls needed to protect the public health, safety and aesthetics. E . The requirements and restrictions imposed by this Ordinance are necessary to protect the health, safety and aesthetics of the City of Tustin as follows: 1. Conditional Use Permit for Each Major Wireless Communication Facility. The City's objective is to promote safety, aesthetics and land use compatibility between major wireless communication facilities and neighboring land uses. Major wireless facilities are often 'highly visible because of their size and/or height, thereby potentially impacting the aesthetics of the community. Public safety could be implicated if the facilities are overconcentrated in a specific area, or are close to overhead utilities, aircraft safety zones, or sensitive residential or institutional uses. The requirement for a conditional use permit allows the City to examine these issues. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Ordinance No. Page 2 , . , , . . Desiqn Review Approval for any Wireless Communication Facility. The City's objective is to promote aesthetic compatibility. The requirement for design review allows the City to examine aesthetic issues by analyzing items such as the height and bulk of the facility, colors, exterior illumination, relationship to adjacent structures, and design. Screening Criteria and Guidelines. The City's objective is to promote and protect an aesthetic environment by requiring the use of s~bdued colors, nonreflective material and grouping of facilities with Other compatible structures. Site Selection Order of Preference. The City's objective is to promote and protect an aesthetic environment by requiring that wireless facilities be located and/or co-located in areas that are the least obtrusive to the community. Sign restrictions. The City's objective is to promote aesthetics and prevent sign clutter. Accessory equipment restrictions. The City's objective is to promote and protect an aesthetic and safe environment. The placement of accessory equipment within a building, enclosure, or underground vault reduces the visual impacts of the equipment and protects the public from potential hazards associated with improper unauthorized contact with the equipment. Preliminary and Field Reports. The City's objective is to promote and protect the public's safety and health by having the flexibility to request, on a case by case basis, that reports be submitted to demonstrate that the operation of the facility is in compliance with-safe human exposure limits. Prohibition of Minor Facilities in Residentially Developed Areas and Vacant Residential Zoninq Districts~ Prohibition of Major Facilities in Ail Residential Areas. The City's objective is to promote safety and aesthetic compatibility with residential uses. Wireless facilities are nonresidential uses that are commercial in nature and may require servicing, maintenance and access at any time. These activities would potentially threaten the safety of residents, In addition, 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Ordinance No ~192 Page 3 . the facilities may be aesthetically intrusive to residents. Locational Guideline of 300 feet to Residential for Major Facilities. The City's objective is to promote aesthetic compatibility with residential uses. Major wireless facilities are often highly visible because of their size and/or height, thereby potentially affecting views, creating glare and impacting the overall aesthetics of the residential uses in the vicinity. 10. Locational Guideline of 100 feet Between Major Facilities. The City's objective is to promote and protect an aesthetic environment by preventing the proliferation of major facilities within a certain concentrated area. 11. Locational Guideline for Industrial Districts. The City's objective is to promote aesthetics, health, and safety by encouraging the location of major facilities in industrial districts. Aesthetics are a lesser concern in industrial areas and the perception of safety and health are improved by locating major facilities in areas that are more isolated from residential populations, schools, and commercial activity. 12. Heiqht Standards for Wireless Communication Facilities. The City's objective is to promote aesthetics and safety. Limiting the height of wireless facilities will reduce the visual blight associated with these facilities and decrease the · likelihood of interference with aircraft flight patterns. 13. Requirement for Monitorinq Proqram. The City's objective is to protect the public health and safety by reviewing the operation of the wireless facility after a five year period' and/or at annual intervals thereafter, and imposing additional conditions of approval, if warranted. Monitoring the facility will allow for changes made possible by new technologies 14. Conditional Use Permit Expiration. The City's objective is to promote safety by requiring that a facility be removed upon termination of the lease. This requirement will reduce the possibility that a wireless facility will be abandoned and not maintained. In addition, this requirement will provide for the implementation 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 24 25 26 '27 28 Ordinance No. _z92 Page 4 of new technologies in replacement facilities that might be built after the original facility's removal. 15. Removal Required for Abandoned Facilities~ The City's objective is to promote and protect an aesthetic and safe environment by requiring that facilities be removed if they are not used for a period of ninety days. Abandoned facilities that are not promptly removed would contribute to the blighting of the community and would present potential safety hazards related to vandalism and unauthorized use of the abandoned facility. F , That a Public Hearing was duly noticed, called and held on this Ordinance by the Planning Commission on January 12, 1998 and by the City Council on January 19, 1998. G, A Negative Declaration was prepared for this project as set forth in the California Environmental Quality Act. The Negative Declaration was considered and approved by the City Council. Section 2. Section 9242(b) (j), of Article 9, Chapter 2, Part 4 of the Tustin City Code; Section VI.C.13. of the Planned Community District Regulations for the Irvine Industrial Complex (Franklin and Walnut Avenues)~ adopted by Ordinance No. 611; and Subsection 1 of the Subsection entitled "Conditionally Permitted Uses" of Section I of Part I of the Planned Community District Regulations for the Irvine Industrial Complex (Red Hill, Warner, Bell, Mosher, and Morgan Avenues) adopted by Ordinance No. 400, are hereby repealed in their entirety. Section 3. Section 9276 of Chapter 2, Article 9 is hereby added to the Tustin City Code to read as follows: "9276 WIRELESS COMMUNICATION FACILITY REGULATIONS AND GUIDELINES a Purpose The purpose of these regulations and guidelines is to regulate the establishment and modification of all wireless communication facilities outside the public right of way and City of Tustin property, and to protect the public health, safety, aesthetics, and quality of life of Tustin citizens. The Tustin City Council has found and determined that these regulations and guidelines for wireless communication facilities are necessary to attain these objectives. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Ordinance No. 1192 Page 5 b Definitions Unless otherwise stated, the following definitions pertain to this Section. "Antenna" means a device used in communications which transmits or receives radio signals. "Antenna, Dish" means a dish-like antenna used to link c6mmunications sites together by wireless transmission of voice or data. Also called microwave antenna, microwave dish antenna, or satellite dish. "Antenna, Microwave" means a dish antenna. "Antenna, Panel" means an antenna or array of antennae that are flat and rectangular and designed to concentrate a radio signal in a particular area. Also referred to as directional antennae. "Antenna, Whip" means an antenna that transmits signals in 360 degrees. They are typically cylindrical in shape and are less than six inches in diameter and measure up to 18 feet in height. Also called omnidirectional, stick or pipe antennae. "Building-mounted" means mounted to the side of a building or to another structure such as a water tank, billboard, church steeple, freestanding sign, etc. "California Public Utilities Commission (CPUC)" means the governmental agency which regulates the terms and conditions of public utilities in the State of California. "Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity" means a certificate issued by the California Public Utilities Commission. "Co-location" means the locating of wireless communications equipment from more than one provider on a single building- mounted, roof-mounted or ground-mounted wireless communication facility. "Electromagnetic Field" means the local electric and magnetic fields caused by voltage and the flow of electricity that envelop the space surrounding an electrical conductor. "Ground mounted" means mounted to a pole, monopole, lattice tower or other freestanding structure specifically constructed for the purpose of supporting such antenna. !0 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Ordinance No. _~92 Page 6 "Lattice Tower" means a structure with three or four steel support legs that supports a variety of antennae.. These towers generally range in height from 60 to 200 feet and are constructed in areas where great height is needed, microwave antennas are required, or where the weather demands a more structurally-sound design. "Major Wireless Communication Facility" means a wireless communication facility that: 1. Is ground mounted on property not within the public righ~-of-way; or 2. Is building or roof mounted and exceeds ten (10) feet in height and does not exceed the maximum height permitted in the zoning district in which the facility is located; or 3. Is building or roof' mounted and exceeds the maximum height permitted in the zoning district in which the facility is located by a maximum of ten (10) feet. "Minicell" means a wireless communication facility that meets all of the following criteria: 1. Contains a maximum of six whip or panel antennae. Each whip antenna does not exceed 6" in diameter and four feet in length. Each panel antenna does not exceed two square feet in surface area. 2. Contains a maximum of one microwave antennae no larger than ten square feet in surface area. 3. Has an array of antennae less than ten feet in height. 4. Is building or roof mounted. 5. Has a total height that does not exceed the maximum height permitted in the applicable zoning district in which the facility is located. "Minor Wireless Communication Facility" means a wireless communication facility that: 1. Consists of a minicell; or 2. Is building or roof mounted and is less than ten (10) feet in height and does not exceed the maximum height permitted in the zoning district in which the facility is located. 10 11 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Ordinance NC ~192 Page 7 "Monopole" means a structure composed of a single spire used to support antennae and related equipment. "Mounted" means attached or supported. "Private Wireless Communication Facility" means a wireless communication facility that has not been granted a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity or a Corporate Identification Number by the California Public Utilities Commission. "Public Right of Way" means and includes all public streets, sidewalks, and utility easements, now or hereafter owned in fee or easement by the City of Tustin. "Public Wireless Communication Facility" means a wireless communication facility that has been granted a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity and/or a .Corporate Identification Number by the CPUC. "Radiofrequency Radiation" means electromagnetic radiation in the portion of the spectrum from 3 kilohertz to 300 gigahertz. "Roof-mounted" means mounted above the eave line of a building. "Unipole" means a structure composed of a single spire used to support antennae and related equipment that are incorporated into a single vertical element. Also called unicell. "Wireless Communication Facility" means any public or private structure that supports antennae (dish, panel, whip, etc.), microWave dishes and other related equipment that sends and/or receives radiofrequency signals. This includes facilities for personal wireless services as defined in the Telecommunication Act of 1996, 47 U.S.C.- 332 (c) (7) . Applicability of this Section , Ail wireless communication facilities for which applications were approved and/or building permits issued by the Community Development Department on or prior to the adoption date of Ordinance No. 1192 shall be exempt from the regulations and guidelines contained herein, unless Section 9276,c.2. or Section 9276,c.5. applies. . Ail wireless communication facilities for which building permits have expired, and have not been 10 11 12 13 14 15 17 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Ordinance No. _~92 Page 8 d renewed on or prior to the adoption date of Ordinance No. ~1192, shall be required to comply with the regulations and guidelines contained herein. , Ail wireless communication facilities to be located within City of Tustin public right of way or on property owned by the City of Tustin. shall be exempt from the regulations and guidelines contained herein. Ail satellite dishes of one (1) meter or less in diameter in residential districts and of two (2) meters or less in commercial or industrial districts shall be exempt from the regulations and guidelines contained herein. Dish antenna exceeding three (3) feet in diameter shall be regulated by Section 9271(y) and not 'by the provisions of this section. As used herein, "dish antenna" includes satellite dishes, multichannel' multipoint distribution service ("MMDS") antennas and television antennas. . Ail modifications to wireless communication facilities for which applications for the modifications were submitted on or after the adoption date of Ordinance No. 1192 shall be required to comply with the regulations and guidelines contained herein. Modifications to_nonconforming wireless communication facilities that are nonconforming with respect to any provision of Ordinance No. 1192 must first receive Planning Commission approval of a conditional use permit as established by Tustin City Code Section 9291. Modifications to nonconforming wireless communication facilities shall not increase' the nonconformities. Requirement for Conditional Use Permit The following must first receive Planning Commission approval of a conditional use permit as established by Tustin City Code Section 9291: , . Any major wireless communication facility established or modified in the City of Tustin. Any minor wireless communication facility established or modified within any City of Tustin residential zoning district on property that contains any legally established nonresidential use and no legally established residential use. , Any wireless communication facility established or modified in the City of Tustin that exceeds the 10 !1 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Ordinance No. ~192 Page 9 maximum height permitted in the zoning district in which the facility is located. Requirement for Design Review Design Review approval shall be requfred prior to the establishment or modification of any wireless communication facility in accordance with Tustin City Code Section 9272. If a conditional use permit and/or a variance is required, the Design Review authority shall be deferred to the Planning Commission. Development Criteria and Guidelines for all Wireless Communication Facilities 1. Screening Criteria and Guidelines a) Wireless communication facilities shall have subdued colors and non-reflective materials which blend with surrounding materials and colors. b) Wireless communication facilities shall be located in areas that will minimize their aesthetic intrusion on the surrounding community. Ground-mounted facilities should only be located in close proximity to existing above-ground utilities, such as electrical tower or utility poles (which are not scheduled for eventual removal or undergrounding), light poles, or trees of comparable heights. For building mounted facilities, all screening shall be compatible with 'the existing architecture, color, texture and or materials of the building. 2. Site Selection Order of Preference a) Wireless communication facilities shall be located in the following order of preference: 1) On existing structures such as buildings, communication towers, church steeples, freestanding signs, and/or co-located on existing facilities. 2) In locations where the existing topography, vegetation, buildings, or other structures provide the greatest amount of screening. 3) On vacant ground without significant visual mitigation only in commercial and industrial zoning districts. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Ordinance No. _~92 Page 10 b) As part of the application process, applicants for wireless communication facilities shall be required to provide written documentation demonstrating, a good faith effort in locating facilities in accordance with the Site Selection Order of Preference. 3. Other Criteria and Guidelines a) Wireless communication facilities shall not bear any signs or advertising devices other than certification, warning, or other required seals or signage, unless signage is approved by the City in acCordance with the City of Tustin Sign Code. b) Ail accessory equipment associated with the operation of the wireless communication facility shall be located within a building, enclosure, or underground vault that complies with the development standards of the zoning district in which the accessory equipment is located, unless other less obtrusive alternatives are identified and approved by the City. c) Within 90 days of commencement of operations, applicants for wireless communication facilities that are located within 300 feet of residential areas or located on properties that are zoned residential and developed with a nonresidential use, may be required to provide a preliminary report and field report prepared by a qualified engineer that shows the operation of the facility is in conformance with the standard established by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) and Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) for safe human exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) and Radiofrequency radiation (RFR). Locational Criteria for Ail Wireless Communication Facilities Except as permitted by Section 9276,c.4., no wireless communication facility shall be established: a) On vacant property within any City of Tustin residential zoning district; or b) On property that contains any legally-established residential use. 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Ordinance Nc ~192 Page 11 , No major wireless communication facility shall be established: a) Within any City of Tustin residential zoning district; or b) On property that contains any legally established residential use. . A minor wireless communication facility may be established or modified within any City of Tustin · residential zoning district on property that contains any legally established nonresidential use and no legally established residential use, with the approval of a conditional use permit by the Planning Commission. Should the property subsequently be developed with a residential use, the conditional use permit shall become null and void, and the facility shall be removed. Additional Locational Guidelines for Major Wireless Communication Facilities Providers requesting permission to establish major wireless communication facilities in the City of Tustin shall find sites that are separated from residential areas to the greatest extent feasible. No major wireless communication facility should be established within three hundred (300) feet of: a) Any City of Tustin residential zone or land use district; b) Any legally-established residential use. . . No major wireless communication facility should be established within one hundred (100) feet of any existing, legally established major wireless communication facility except when co-located on the same building or structure. For the purposes of this Ordinance, all distances shall be measured in a straight line without regard to intervening structures, from the nearest point of the proposed major wireless communication facility to the nearest property line of any land use, Land Use District, or zone described in Subsection (a) above, or to the nearest point of another major wireless communication facility described in Subsection (b). , Major wireless communication facilities should be encouraged to locate and/or co-locate on properties 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Ordinance No. __92 Page 12 which are located within Industrial (M) and Planned Community Industrial (PC-IND) zoning districts. i Height Standards for Wireless Communication Facilities No wireless communication 'facility shall exceed by more than ten (10) feet the maximum height permitted in the zoning district in which the facility is located. j Monitoring Program Each wireless communication facility approved subsequent to the adoption of Ordinance No. 1192 shall be reviewed by the Community Development Director at the end of five (5) years and/or at annual intervals thereafter from the date of design review and/or conditional use permit approval. The Director may defer this review to the Planning Commission on a case-by-case basis. The Director or Planning Commission, as applicable, may recommend a condition of approval to the Planning Commission or the City Council, respectively, to modify existing conditions or impose new conditions as part of this review to protect the public health, safety, community aesthetics and general welfare, which condition shall be subject to the approval of the City Council. k Conditional Use Permit Expiration Each major wireless communication facility approved subsequent to the adoption of Ordinance No. 1192 shall be approved for a period not to exceed the term of the lease with the property owner, including any extension thereof, for the major wireless communication facility. A recorded memorandum of lease setting forth the term of the lease shall be submitted to the Director prior to the issuance of a building permit for the major wireless communication facility. If the lease is extended or terminated, the operator of the wireless communication facility shall provide notice and evidence thereof in writing to the Community Development Director no later than five (5) days prior to the extension or termination of the lease. Upon termination or expiration of the lease, the conditional use permit for the facility shall become null and void and the facility removed. 1 Abandonment A wireless communication facility is considered abandoned if it no longer provides wireless communication service. If the use of a facility is discontinued for any reason, the operator of the wireless communication facility shall 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 2O 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 Ordinance No. 1192 Page 13 notify the City of Tustin in writing no later than five (5) days after the discontinuation of use. Lawfully erected wireless communication facilities that are no longer being used shall be removed promptly from the premises, and no later than ninety (90) days after the discontinuation of use. Such removal shall· be in accordance with proper health and safety requirements. A written notice of the determination of abandonment shall be sent or delivered to operator of the wireless communication facility. The operator shall have thirty (30) days to remove the facility or provide the Community Development Department with evidence that the use has not been discontinued. The Planning Commission shall review all evidence and shall determine whether or not the facility is abandoned. Ail facilities not removed within the required thirty (30) day period shall be in violation of the Code and operators of the facility and the owners of the property shall be subject to penalties for violations under the enforcement and penalties provisions of this Section. m Violations/Penalties Violations of this Ordinance shall constitute a public nuisance and shall also constitute a misdemeanor punishable by fine or imprisonment or both. Each day the violation continues is punishable as a separate offense pursuant to' Tustin City Code Section 1121." Section 4. Severability Ail of the provisions of this ordinance shall be construed together in order to accomplish the purpose of these regulations. If any provision of this part is held by a court to be invalid or unconstitutional, such invalidity or unconstitutionality shall apply only to the particular facts, or if a provision is declared to be invalid or unconstitutional as applied to all facts, all of the remaining provisions of this ordinance shall continue to be fully effective. PASSED AND ADOPTED by the City Council of the City of Tustin at a regular meeting on the 2nd day of February, 1998. PAMELA STOKER CITY CLERK JEFFERY M. THOMAS MAYOR