Portola Valley, California · General provision

Chapter 18.41, Sections 18.41.030 and 18.41.080

Dimensional standards

lot requirementsSTREETSTREETFront 50 ftRear 50 ftSide 50 ftStreet side 50 ftMAX HEIGHT50 ft
Plan view of the district’s stated lot requirements. Solid line: the property line. Dashed: the setback lines the ordinance imposes; a building must stay inside the tinted envelope. Drawn from the figures extracted below — illustrative, not a survey.

Uses

Extracted standards

37 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.

Noise

  • Noise standard

    All facilities shall be designed and operated to conform to the minimum noise standards contained in Chapter 9.10 (Noise Control) of the Portola Valley Municipal Code.

Other

  • Backup power duration48 hours

    The back-up power system shall be capable of running the facility for at least forty-eight hours.

  • Co-location required

    All providers shall cooperate in the locating of equipment and antennas to accommodate the maximum number of providers at a given site.

  • Color approval

    The color of all antennas, cabinets, equipment, and mounting brackets shall be approved by the planning and building director.

  • Construction start deadline1 year

    Actual construction of a wireless communications facility pursuant to an approved conditional use permit or minor wireless permit must be initiated within one year from the date of final approval.

  • If a conditional use permit is granted, the minimum permit life shall be ten years unless a shorter life is allowed for under controlling federal or state of California standards and regulations.

  • Fence compliance

    Any fencing shall conform to the provisions of Chapter 18.43 of this title.

  • Geologic map compliance

    Siting of any new personal wireless communication facility shall conform to the 'utility' provisions of town's geologic map and land movement potential map policies.

  • Indemnification

    The permittee shall defend, indemnify and hold harmless the town.

  • Landscape maintenance

    The landscape maintenance agreement shall specifically provide for timely replacement of any screen planting that has not survived.

  • Liability coverage1,000,000 dollars

    an amount of at least one million dollars in coverage per occurrence per installation in the public right-of-way.

  • Maintenance hours

    Except for emergency repairs, testing and maintenance activities that will be audible beyond the property line shall only occur between the hours of eight a.m. and five-thirty p.m. on Monday through Friday, excluding legal holidays.

  • Maintenance requirement

    Wireless communications facilities and related equipment... shall be maintained in good condition and repair.

  • No small wireless antenna shall exceed four feet from top of antenna to bottom of antenna.

  • Maximum antenna protrusion from pole3 ft

    No small wireless antenna shall extend more than three feet from the surface of the pole.

  • Maximum co-located carriers2 carriers

    The permittee or any future owner of a tower facility shall allow for co-location of up to two additional wireless carriers on the facility.

  • No above ground equipment enclosure shall exceed a total of four feet in height.

  • Maximum equipment enclosure length6 ft

    No above ground equipment enclosure shall exceed a total of six feet in length.

  • Maximum equipment enclosure width6 ft

    No above ground equipment enclosure shall exceed a total of six feet in width.

  • Minor wireless permit life1 year

    Minor wireless permits shall have a permit life of one year, unless a longer time period is specified by applicable federal or state law.

  • Non-reflective finish

    All equipment, antennas, poles, cables, hardware, and towers shall have a non-reflective finish.

  • Any wireless communications facility that was approved by the town prior to the effective date of this section... shall be considered a lawful non-conforming use.

  • Permit renewal

    The permittee or any future owner may request an extension of the ten-year life (or five-year life for permits in undergrounding districts) of the permit.

  • Public infrastructure compatibility

    Facilities shall not block, obstruct, impair or otherwise interfere with the use of public trails, rights-of-way, culverts, storm drains and other public infrastructure.

  • Removal after discontinuance90 days

    All equipment and improvements associated with a wireless communications facility shall be removed within ninety days of the discontinuation of the use.

  • Residential property restriction

    In residential zoning districts, antenna and necessary equipment enclosures and support structures shall only be located on properties not residentially developed.

  • RF compliance

    All wireless communications facilities shall at any and all times comply with the FCC's Office of Engineering and Technology Bulletin 65.

  • RF testing frequency1 year

    once each year the town may retain... a town approved radio frequency expert to conduct an unannounced radio frequency emissions evaluation.

  • Screening required

    All wireless communications facilities shall be designed, screened and/or camouflaged to the greatest extent possible.

  • Security measures

    All wireless communications facilities shall provide sufficient security measures and anti-climbing measures.

  • Structural inspection

    The town may reasonably require inspection of a tower... by a licensed structural engineer following significant storms.

  • Third party review

    The planning and building director may require an independent, third-party review, at the expense of the applicant.

  • Underground wires

    Wires and conduits shall be placed underground and run inside poles where feasible.

  • No new pole, however, shall be permitted in an area designated as a utility undergrounding district, unless applicant shows it is infeasible to locate outside the district.

  • Warning signs

    All camouflaged facilities including, but not limited to, 'faux trees' that emit radio frequency emissions shall be posted with warning signs to the public as legally required by the FCC.

  • Work notification14 days

    The permit holder shall notify the town in writing of any work to be completed at the facility at least two weeks prior to the start of work.

Signage

  • Signage required

    Each owner or operator of a wireless communications facility shall provide signage identifying the name, site number or other unique identifier, and local or toll-free phone number of a party to contact at any time regarding the facility.

From the ordinance

Antenna and support structure may not exceed 50 ft; base of tower shall be at least 50 ft from any adjacent property boundary.
Chapter 18.41, Sections 18.41.030 and 18.41.080