KETCHIKAN GATEWAY BOROUGH PLANNING COMMISSION ...

KETCHIKAN GATEWAY BOROUGH CODE 18.175.020Sections:18.175.010 Intent.18.175.020 General provisions.18.175.030 Exemptions.18.175.040 Removal.18.175.050 Application submittals.Chapter 18.175CONDITIONAL USE STANDARDS – TELECOMMUNICATIONSTOWERS, FACILITIES AND ANTENNAS18.175.010 Intent.The purpose of this chapter is to allow for and regulate the design, location, placement, construction, and removalof telecommunications towers, facilities, and antennas within the borough, meeting the following objectives:(a)(b)(c)(d)(e)Facilitate the provision of telecommunications services to the residents and businesses of the Ketchikan GatewayBorough and city of Ketchikan in an orderly fashion;Minimize adverse impacts of towers through careful design, site location, landscaping, and innovative camouflagingtechniques;Ensure that towers, antennas, and telecommunications facilities are compatible with surrounding land uses;Promote and encourage shared use/co-location of towers and antenna support structures as a primary optionrather than construction of additional single-use towers; andTo encourage the location of towers in industrial and commercial districts and undeveloped areas rather thanresidential areas. [Ord. No. 1398, §13, 7-24-06. Code 1974 §60.10.117(A).]18.175.020 General provisions.Telecommunications towers, facilities, and/or antennas may be permitted by the planning commission as a conditionaluse where allowed; provided, that the following standards are met:(a)(b)(c)Demonstration of Need. The applicant shall provide an analysis prepared by a radio or electrical engineer demonstratingthat the proposed location of the antennas is necessary to meet the coverage and capacity needs ofits system and that there is no existing antenna support structure that could adequately serve the area if antennaswere placed on it.Interference. The placement, design, use and operation of telecommunications facilities shall comply with theTelecommunications Act of 1996 and the rules of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).Design.(1) All towers shall be designed and certified by a licensed engineer for structural soundness and conformitywith all applicable building, mechanical, and electrical codes as well as state and federal law.(2) Free-standing towers shall be designed in all respects so as to accommodate co-location of the applicant’santennas and at least two (2) additional users and to allow for future rearrangement of antennas upon thetower, antennas mounted at varying heights, and to accommodate supporting buildings and equipment.(d)(e)Site Location and Screening. Towers shall be located and painted so as to minimize their visibility where practicableand except as dictated by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA).Setbacks. No telecommunications tower or facility shall be located in the required minimum setbacks in anyzone, with the exception that the use of existing light poles, high voltage poles or towers, and telecommunica-18-115