Title
Ordinance Amending the Land Development Ordinance with Respect to Wireless Telecommunication Facilities (Tower Height / Setback)
Body
Department: Planning
Council District: All Districts
Public Hearing: Yes
Advertising Date/By:
Contact 1 and Phone: Steve Galanti at 373-2918
Contact 2 and Phone: Sue Schwartz at 373-2149
PURPOSE:
The purpose of the text amendment is to amend the Land Development Ordinance (LDO) by replacing the determination of setbacks related to a percentage of the building length with numeric side and rear yard setbacks based on building orientation and adjacent land uses; and clarify Type 1 (Planning Director) / Type 2 (TRC) modifications for multifamily developments. The City Council is required to hold a public hearing on this amendment before considering its approval.
BACKGROUND:
The Land Development Ordinance (LDO) contains regulations applicable to use and structure placement on property within the City as it relates to wireless telecommunication facilities.
Three aspects of those regulations currently require:
· Tower Height - In all residential, TN, O, MU-L, and C-N districts the maximum height is 80 feet. In residential, office, mixed use districts and new WTFs in commercial districts that are within 1,500 feet of a residential use the design review must insure that the tower bears a reasonable relationship to the proportions and scale of existing buildings, structures, and trees.
· Tower Setback - A 100-foot setback from any residentially zoned property.
· Lot Size - A lot of at least one acre in all residential, TN, O, and CN districts.
Representatives from the industry presented information that clearly demonstrated that since initial adoption of the requirements in 1996, data volume and areas needing coverage have drastically increased. In addition to their request to address data and coverage needs, they also requested that the ordinance be clarified so that the height standards were numeric instead of proportional.
In general, the proposed changes increase the permitted heights and setbacks as follows:
· Tower Height - In all residential, O, PUD, TN, mixed use districts, and commercial districts that are within 1,500 feet of a residential use the maximum height is 100 feet, and may be increased to 150 feet with approval of a Special Use Permit.
· Tower Setback - A setback equal to the height of the tower from all property lines, height of the tower or 100 feet from any residentially zoned property, and a setback equal to two-times the height of the tower from a building containing a residential use.
· Lot Size - A lot of at least two acres is required in all residential, TN, O, and CN districts.
This information has also been presented to the Greensboro Neighborhood Congress at their monthly meeting.
BUDGET IMPACT:
This item will have no impact on the budget.
RECOMMENDATION / ACTION REQUESTED:
The Planning Board recommended this amendment at its April meeting on a vote of 8-0. Staff recommends that City Council receive citizen comments and consider adoption of the proposed text amendment.