01/19/2000 Meeting Minutes - Laserfiche WebLink

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Public Hearing 1/19/2000 Ordinance 9&130 Page 2 Todd Hunt • The zoning scheme was put together in an attempt to set up a hierarchy of places where this equipment mould go and make it easy for those persons who want to put up either a tower or antenna to do so in an area where the city feels they are acceptable. The city cannot prohibit this equipment, nor can the regulations be too strict and have the effect of prohibiting. The idea is to provide areas that are acceptable to the community. That's what this ordinance does. We are trying to tread a very fine line of providing enough potential sites for these facilities and still protecting the community from the adverse affectsr-aesthetically and property values. There is a negative effect on property values from these towers. The telecommunications ordinance provides that someone can simply apply for a building permit to put up a tower in the high tension power easements on the west end of town. In addition, towers are permitted on the interstate right-of--way. However, companies are beginning to avoid interstate rights-of-way because the State of Ohio is charging an enormous amount for the rent of those facilities. Also, the ordinance is geared toward co-location so that a company can put an antenna on an existing tower. If none of these options work, a company can apply for a conditional use permit in the overlay district areas. What he has tried to do is recommend some areas where towers could be placed, under approval by the Planning Commission, and provide enough of those properties so that there would be some place to locate the towers and also allow the city to challenge a company that wants to put one in a place that is not designated in an overlay district. We have tried to strike a balance in the ordinance and the map so that there are enough alternative areas where the towers can be located. He included the mall area because he felt there needed to be some area on the eastern part of the city. Councilman McKay • Noted that there currently are a number of locations on the east end of the city where antennas are located on buildings. Ray Nied, 658'7 Charles Road • Did not understand what the rezoning was for. President Saringer explained that this public hearing was to discuss creating a new district and setting up regulations for telecommunications facilities. The next public hearing at 7:30 will discuss the supplemental zoning of parcels into the zoning district. Mr. Nied said he is against wireless transmission stations because they are going to overtake the cities. President Saringer said that is why we are establishing guidelines. Mr. Nied did not understand why it was needed at all. Councilwoman Kasler explained the guidelines are needed in order to establish areas where the towers will be permitted. in this way, the residents will be protected from towers being put just anywhere. Councilman O'Grady noted that, through the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the city cannot prohibit the towers but can regulate them • Mr. Nied asked what the range of the towers was. Mr. Hunt answered it can be anywhere from two to three miles. The city's ordinance creates ahalf--mile spacing requirement between towers and encourages co-location. In fact, co-location is