Article XXI, Wireless Telecommunications Facilities
Dimensional standards
Servicing
- Geographic extent
- Applies to all wireless telecommunications facilities within the Town of Hillsville.
Uses
Conditional / special use1
Extracted standards
57 individual requirements pulled out of this section’s prose, each with the sentence it came from.
Design
- Co-location capacity5 additional antennas
The tower shall be structurally designed to accommodate at least five additional antenna arrays
- Stealth technology required
the utilization of stealth or concealment technology as may be required by the Town
Other
- Abandonment period before removal90 days
abandoned (i.e., not used as wireless telecommunications facilities) for a period exceeding 90 consecutive days or a total of 180 days in any three-hundred-sixty-five-day period
- Abandonment sale period10 days
if the owner... does not claim and remove it from the site to a lawful location within 10 days
- Access road and parking required
an access road, turnaround space and parking shall be provided to assure adequate emergency and service access
- Adherence to state and federal rules
the holder of such a special exception permit shall adhere to, and comply with, all applicable rules, regulations, standards, and provisions of any state or federal agency
- Notification to adjacent municipalities
Written notification of the application shall be provided to the legislative body of all adjacent municipalities
- Application fee for co-location2,000 dollars
the nonrefundable fee shall be $2,000
- Application fee for new tower5,000 dollars
a nonrefundable application fee of $5,000
- Automobile coverage1,000,000 dollars per occurrence
Automobile coverage: $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate
- Balloon test advertisement days14 days
advertised by the applicant seven and 14 days in advance
- Balloon test diameter3 ft
a minimum of a three feet in diameter
- Balloon test duration4 hours
The balloon shall be flown for at least four consecutive hours
- Balloon test requirements
The applicant shall arrange to fly, or raise upon a temporary mast, a brightly colored balloon, a minimum of a three feet in diameter, at the maximum height of the proposed new tower. The balloon shall be flown for at least four consecutive hours sometime between 7:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m.
- Co-location negotiation required
The owner of the proposed new tower... shall negotiate in good faith for the shared use of the proposed tower
- Co-location handled administratively
an application to co-locate on an existing tower or similar structure that does not increase the height by extending above the top of the structure shall be handled administratively.
- Commercial general liability coverage1,000,000 dollars per occurrence
Commercial general liability covering personal injuries, death and property damage: $1,000,000 per occurrence/$2,000,000 aggregate
- Compliance with technical and safety codes
shall construct, operate, maintain, repair... in strict compliance with all current applicable technical, safety and safety-related codes
- Construction completion period6 months
Any wireless telecommunications facility that is permitted shall be constructed, completed and provide service no later than six months from the date of the grant of the initial permit.
- Environmental assessment may be required
An applicant may be required to submit an environmental assessment analysis and a visual addendum.
- Initial escrow deposit8,500 dollars
The initial deposit shall be $8,500.
- Escrow replenishment amount5,000 dollars
so that it has a balance of at least $5,000
- Escrow replenishment threshold2,500 dollars
If at any time during the process this escrow account has a balance less than $2,500, the applicant shall immediately... replenish said escrow account so that it has a balance of at least $5,000.
- Fine for first offense350 dollars per day
punishable by a fine not exceeding $350 per day per occurrence
- Fine for second offense700 dollars
for conviction of a second offense... punishable by a fine of not less than $350 nor more than $700
- Fine for third offense1,000 dollars
for a third or subsequent offense... punishable by a fine of not less than $700 nor more than $1,000
- Grounding and surge protection
the wireless telecommunications facilities will be effectively grounded and bonded so as to protect persons and property and installed with appropriate surge protectors.
- Imminent danger correction period24 hours
the Town may... order the violation remedied within 24 hours.
- Indemnification required
Any application for wireless telecommunications facilities that is proposed for Town property... shall contain a provision with respect to indemnification.
- Inspection authority
the Town may inspect all facets of said permit holder's... placement, construction, modification and maintenance
- Insurance cancellation notice30 days
at least 30 days' prior written notice in advance of the cancellation
- Insurance delivery after permit15 days
no case later than 15 days after the grant of the special exception permit
- Insurance renewal notice15 days
Renewal or replacement policies or certificates shall be delivered to the Town at least 15 days before the expiration
- Landowner notification distance1,500 ft
the application shall contain the names and addresses of all landowners whose property is located within 1,500 feet of any property line of the lot or parcel
- Annual NIER certification
The holder of the special exception permit shall, annually, certify to the Town that NIER levels at the site are within the threshold levels adopted by the FCC.
- Performance bond amount75,000 dollars
in an amount of at least $75,000
- Pre-application meeting required
There shall be a pre-application meeting.
- Public hearingConditional useAllowed only after a discretionary approval — usually a public hearing and a board vote. notice period10 days
notice of which shall be published in the official newspaper of the Town no less than 10 calendar days prior to the scheduled date of the public hearing
- Public hearingConditional useAllowed only after a discretionary approval — usually a public hearing and a board vote. required for new tower
Prior to the approval of any application for a special exception permit for a new tower... a public hearing shall be held
- Recertification fee0 dollars
No application fee is required in order to recertify
- Recertification interval5 years
prior to the fifth anniversary of the original granting of the special exception permit, and prior to each subsequent five-year anniversary
- Removal completion period90 days
within 90 days of receipt of written notice
- Removal notice period90 days
shall dismantle and remove such wireless telecommunications facilities... within 90 days of receipt of written notice
- Removal notice period48 hours
the Town shall notify the holder of the special exception permit... within 48 hours
- Revocation notice period48 hours
shall notify the holder of the special exception permit within 48 hours of such action.
- Screening of base and facilities
how it shall effectively screen from view the base and all related facilities and structures
- Response time for shared use request60 days
Respond within 60 days to a request for information from a potential shared-use applicant.
- Special exception permit required
No person shall be permitted to site, place, build, construct, modify or prepare any site for the placement or use of wireless telecommunications facilities... without having first obtained a special exception permit
- Compliance with changed state/federal rules24 months
shall conform the permitted wireless telecommunications facilities to the applicable changed and/or modified rule... within a maximum of 24 months
- Structural certification
the telecommunications facility, foundation and attachments are designed and will be constructed to meet all local, Town, state and federal structural requirements for loads, including wind and ice loads.
- Temporary use permit duration90 days
the Town may approve a temporary use permit/agreement for the wireless telecommunications facilities, for no more than 90 days
- Temporary use permit for removal90 days
the Town may approve a temporary use permit/agreement for the wireless telecommunications facilities, for no more than 90 days
- Tower setbackSetbackThe distance a building must be held back from a lot line. from property lines
Set back from abutting parcels, recorded rights-of-way and road and street lines by the greater of the height of the tower plus 10% of height, or the existing setback requirement of the underlying zoning district.
- Underground utilities required
All utilities at a wireless telecommunications facilities site shall be installed underground
- Violation correction period7 days
the violations must be corrected within seven days
- Visual impact assessment required
The applicant shall furnish a visual impact assessment
Signage
- Maximum sign area4 sqftsq ftSquare feet. An acre is 43,560 sq ft; a typical suburban lot is 7,000–10,000.
Wireless telecommunications facilities shall contain a sign no larger than four square feet...
From the ordinance
All proposed towers and any other proposed wireless telecommunications facility structures shall be set back from abutting parcels, recorded rights-of-way and road and street lines by the greater of the following distances: a distance equal to the height of the proposed tower or wireless telecommunications facility structure plus 10% of the height of the tower or structure, or the existing setback requirement of the underlying zoning district, whichever is greater.