§ 98-2356. Intent.

These regulations and requirements establish general guidelines for the siting of wireless telecommunications towers and antennas and are intended to accomplish the following purposes:

(1)

Protect and promote the public health, safety and general welfare of the residents of the city;

(2)

Minimize residential areas and land uses from potential adverse impacts of towers and antennas;

(3)

Encourage the location of towers in nonresidential areas and to locate them, to the extent possible, in areas where the adverse impact on the community is minimal;

(4)

Minimize the total number of towers throughout the community by strongly encouraging the collocation of antennas on new and pre-existing tower sites or existing structures as a primary option rather than construction of additional single-use telecommunications towers;

(5)

Encourage users of telecommunications towers and antennas to configure them in a way that minimizes the adverse visual impact of the telecommunications towers and antennas through careful design, engineering, siting, landscape screening, and innovative camouflaging techniques;

(6)

Minimize potential damage to property from telecommunications towers and telecommunications facilities by requiring such structures be soundly designed, constructed, modified and maintained; and

(7)

Enhance the ability of the providers of telecommunications services to provide such services to the community through an efficient and timely application process. In furtherance of these goals, the city shall at all times give due consideration to the city's comprehensive plan, zoning map, existing land uses, and environmentally sensitive areas, including hurricane preparedness areas, in approving sites for the location of telecommunications towers and antennas.

(Ord. No. 2017-036, § 3, 6-27-2017)