4.4.B Standards for Specific Types of Facilities

B. Standards for Specific Types of Facilities

In addition to the foregoing general development and design standards, the following additional development and design standards apply to the specific type of wireless communication facility identified below:

The following additional standards and processes apply to all new concealed base station facilities:

1. The overall height of any new base station facility on a rooftop shall not exceed more than 10 feet above the rooftop or parapet whichever is greater. “Height” for all purposes in this subsection shall mean the linear distance from the rooftop where the antenna is attached to the highest physical point on the wireless communication facility.

2. The overall height of any new base station facility on an existing utility or light pole shall not exceed five feet above the existing pole.

i. Where feasible, antennas shall be placed directly above, below or incorporated with vertical design elements of a building or structure to maximize concealment.

ii. Base station facilities shall be concealed in some fashion (e.g., screened by a parapet or other device to minimize its visual impact as measured from the boundary line of the subject property).

iii. Base stations shall be designed in such a manner as to be compatible with the existing structure. The base station facility shall be constructed to integrate with the existing architecture. There shall be as little contrast as possible between the communications equipment and the structure.

i. All cables shall be installed internally; but where internal mounting is not possible, surface mounted wires shall be enclosed within conduit or a similar cable cover which shall be painted to match the structure or building on which that DAS is mounted.

ii. Attached equipment box and power meter is discouraged; however, if attachment is justified, equipment box and meter shall be located on the pole at a height that does not interfere with pedestrian or vehicular traffic or visibility and where applicable shall not interfere with street name signs or traffic lighting standards.

Approvals for any proposed facility under this section shall be pursuant to Section 4.3.B, Approvals Required.

A new concealed base station facility shall be reviewed and a decision rendered within 150 days of receipt of the application, subject to any applicable tolling for application deficiencies and resubmissions, so long as the applicant demonstrates that the facilities will be used, immediately upon completion of construction, to provide personal wireless services, or within such other mutually agreed upon time. (“Spec” base stations are not entitled to review and decision within 150 days, or to any of the other protections of the Telecommunications Act.) Construction permits issued for new concealed base stations shall be valid for a term of 180 days and shall lapse and be void if construction of the contemplated concealed base station is not completed within that time.

The following additional standards and processes apply to all collocation facilities:

1. Any collocation that is on an eligible tower or eligible base station, and that is not a substantial change as defined in Section 9.8, Wireless Communication Facility Definitions, shall be subject to the approval process set forth in Section 4.3.B.

i. Applicants shall complete a wireless infrastructure application and building permit application and submit applicable filing fees.

ii. The Director shall review application and decide if the application meets the nonsubstantial change definitions and notify applicant in writing within 30 days of submission if the application is incomplete or complete. If incomplete, the City shall specifically delineate the missing information. The applicant shall resubmit the missing information. The timeframe for review will begin running again when the applicant makes a supplemental submission. The City shall review and provide written notice to the applicant within 10 days if the application is approved or remains incomplete. If incomplete the City shall provide in writing specifically delineating the missing information.

iii. City shall complete review process within 60 days, accounting for any tolling, including any review to determine whether an application is complete unless there is a mutual agreement to an extension of time. The request will be deemed granted is not approved within the 60-day period, accounting for any tolling or mutually agreed upon extension of time.

Any and all collocations that exceed the parameters set forth in the substantial change definition or are on a noneligible facility are subject to discretionary approval on a case-by-case and site-specific basis through the conditional use process as set forth in Section 4.3.B, Approvals Required. Applicants shall minimize substantial changes as much as possible.

Antennas and related service equipment mounted on a service tower shall be mounted as close to the tower as possible.

A substantial change collocation shall be reviewed, and a decision rendered within 90 days of receipt of the application, subject to any applicable tolling for application deficiencies and resubmissions, so long as the applicant demonstrates that the facilities will be used, immediately upon completion of construction, to provide personal wireless services, or within such other mutually agreed upon time. (“Spec” collocations are not entitled to review and decision within 90 days, or to any of the other protections of the Telecommunications Act.)

The following additional standards and processes apply to all new concealed freestanding DAS, node and small cell tower facilities:

The total height of a DAS / small cell facility including antenna shall not exceed 30 feet.

Setbacks for DAS / small cell facility shall meet the same setbacks of the underlying zoning district.

The use of foliage and vegetation around ground equipment may be required by the City based on conditions of the specific area where the ground equipment is to be located. In order to avoid the clustering of multiple items of ground equipment in a single area, a maximum of two ground equipment boxes may be grouped together in any single location. Individual ground equipment boxes shall not exceed the dimensions provided for in Section 9.8, Wireless Communication Facility Definitions.

i. New DAS / small cell facilities shall be configured and located in a manner that minimizes adverse effects on the landscape and adjacent properties, with specific design considerations as to height, scale, color, texture and architectural design of the buildings on the same and adjacent zoned lots. Concealment design is required to minimize the visual impact of wireless communication facilities.

ii. All cables, conduits, electronics, and wires shall be enclosed within the structure.

iii. Small cell facilities shall be no larger in size than what is specified in Section 9.8, Wireless Communication Facility Definitions.

A new concealed DAS, node and concealed small cell tower shall be reviewed, and a decision rendered within 150 days of receipt of the application, subject to any applicable tolling for application deficiencies and resubmissions, so long as the applicant demonstrates that the facilities will be used, immediately upon completion of construction, to provide personal wireless services, or within such other mutually agreed upon time. (“Spec” towers are not entitled to review and decision within 150 days, or to any of the other protections of the Telecommunications Act.) Construction permits issued for new concealed PWSF towers shall be valid for a term of 180 days and shall lapse and be void if construction of the contemplated concealed PWSF tower is not completed within that time.

Setbacks for DAS hubs shall meet the setback standards of the underlying zoning district.

DAS hub equipment shelters or cabinets shall be consistent with the general character of the neighborhood and historic character if applicable. Equipment shelters or cabinets shall be screened from the public view by using landscaping or materials and colors consistent with the surrounding backdrop.

i. Screening enclosures shall be allowed when the design is architecturally compatible with the building;

ii. Screening materials shall consist of materials and colors consistent with the surrounding backdrop and/or textured to match the existing structure;

iii. The use of foliage and vegetation around ground equipment may be required based on conditions of the specific area where the ground equipment is to be located.

The following additional standards and processes apply to new or replacement concealed macro wireless communication facilities:

Concealed facilities shall meet the greater of either:

1. The minimum setback requirements for the zoning district; or

2. Away from single-family residential use properties by a minimum distance of 100 percent of the tower height; notwithstanding the foregoing requirements, if the antenna-supporting structure has been constructed using “breakpoint” design technology, the minimum setback distance shall be equal to 110 percent of the distance from the top of the structure to the “breakpoint” level of the structure. For example, on a 70-foot-tall monopole with a “breakpoint” at 50 feet, the minimum setback distance would be 22 feet (110 percent of 20 feet, the distance from the top of the monopole to the “breakpoint”). Certification by an Arizona professional engineer of the “breakpoint” design and the design’s fall radius shall be provided together with the other information required in Section 4.3.E, Application Submittal Requirements.

3. The Planning and Zoning Commission shall have the authority to waive any applicable setback requirements where the City favors a more desirable location within the applicable parcel for the concealed facility.

The new tower shall be designed to accommodate the maximum amount of wireless communication equipment, including that of other wireless communication providers, with all transmission lines contained within the structure. In all cases, the minimum number of collocated facilities on a new tower 60 or more feet shall be three. No new or replacement concealed wireless communication facility shall be guyed or have a lattice type construction.

1. No concealed facility, whether fully enclosed within a building or otherwise, shall have antennas, antenna arrays, transmission lines, equipment enclosures or other ancillary equipment that is readily identifiable from the public domain as wireless communication equipment. Examples of concealed facilities include, but are not limited to, flagpoles, light standards, utility poles, church steeples, bell towers, clock towers, and artificial trees.

2. Concealed wireless communication facilities shall be placed and constructed in such a manner as to be compatible with the existing structure or surrounding natural terrain, preferably with both. There shall be as little contrast as possible between the communications equipment and the structure or natural terrain. A determination of appropriate concealment type shall be based on the proposed location and environment.

3. Concealed facilities constructed in the form of a “faux” tree shall mimic a tree native to Sedona with sufficient number of “faux” branches and foliage to conceal all external antenna, panels, trays, cables, support rods, crossbars, port holes, splitters, couplers and attenuators and any other equipment external to the tower mast, which shall be painted or have applied material to simulate tree bark, branches, and leaves indigenous to the area, with variations in color and shape to replicate natural fauna. “Faux” branches shall surround the tower in a multi-dimensional pyramid shape pattern to the top of the tower, with branches and foliage material in variable length, width and depth sufficient to obscure physical view of the tower, antenna elements and brackets.

Any ground-mounted equipment and equipment shelters shall be located outside of the ROW. Such ground-mounted equipment and equipment shelters shall be painted to comply with the color requirements of Section 5.7.F(5), Building Color, and shall be screened from public view with appropriate landscaping. In the alternative, equipment may be mounted on the pole; provided, that access to the pole and to any other services or equipment above it is not impeded. Pole-mounted equipment shall also be designed and placed to be aesthetically compatible with existing and proposed uses and as visually inconspicuous as possible.

An opaque fence or masonry wall no greater than eight feet in height from finished grade shall be provided around the perimeter of all development areas for ground-mounted wireless communication facilities. The decision to provide either a fence or a wall shall rest with the Director and/or Commission. If a fence is used to enclose the site, the fence shall be constructed of wire mesh, metal picket or an alternative material as approved by the Director and/or Commission. If a wall is used to enclose the site, the wall shall have a decorative finish of native stone, stucco, split-faced block, brick, or an alternative material as approved by the Director and/or Commission. The Director will give administrative approvals; and for conditional use permits the Director will make recommendations and the Commission will give approvals. Access to the development area shall be through a locked gate.

Landscaping and buffering shall be required around the perimeter of development areas, except that the Director or Commission, as applicable, may waive any applicable landscaping requirements as outlined in this Code on one or more sides of the development areas or allow the placement of required landscaping elsewhere on the development area when the required landscape area is located adjacent to undevelopable lands or lands not in public view. Landscaping shall be installed on the outside of the perimeter fence or wall. Existing vegetation shall be preserved to the maximum extent practicable and may be used as a substitute for or in supplement towards meeting the landscaping requirements, subject to approval by the Director (for administrative approvals) or Commission (for conditional use permits). Landscaping shall be placed in a manner so as to maximize the screening between residential areas and the wireless communication facility and minimize the view of the facility from any residential areas. The Director or Commission may approve an alternate method of compliance for the landscaping on a case-by-case basis.

i. The control buildings shall be designed to be architecturally compatible with adjacent buildings and shall comply with the provisions of Article 5: Development Standards. The control buildings shall not be placed in minimum setback areas as required in Article 2: Zoning Districts, nor shall they encroach into required landscape areas.

ii. Ground-mounted equipment shall not be visible from beyond the boundaries of the site and shall be screened by a solid wall or fence and dense landscaping materials as described in subsections 4.4.B(4)c.5 and 4.4.B(4)c.6 above.

The overall height of any concealed tower including antennas shall not exceed the lesser of: (i) 70 feet or (ii) 20 feet above the tallest tree within a 500-foot radius of the proposed facility. “Height” for all purposes in this subsection shall mean the linear distance from the ground to the highest physical point on the antenna-supporting structure, including all antennas and antenna arrays.

i. New concealed towers shall be configured and located in a manner that shall minimize adverse effects including visual impacts on adjacent properties. The applicant shall demonstrate that alternative locations, configurations, and facility types have been examined and shall address in narrative and graphic form the feasibility of any alternatives that may have fewer adverse effects on adjacent properties than the facility, configuration, and location proposed.

ii. An applicant shall demonstrate through the photo-simulation requirements under Section 4.3.E, Application Submittal Requirements, that the project design employs each of these attributes in a manner that minimizes adverse effects to the greatest extent feasible.

iii. The following attributes shall be considered from vantage points at adjacent properties, roadways and occupied structures:

a. Height and location;

b. Mass and scale;

c. Materials and color;

d. Illumination;

e. Existing and proposed vegetation and intervening structures.

A new concealed PWSF tower shall be reviewed and a decision rendered within 150 days of receipt of the application, subject to any applicable tolling for application deficiencies and resubmissions, so long as the applicant demonstrates that the facilities will be used, immediately upon completion of construction, to provide personal wireless services or within such other mutually agreed upon time. (“Spec” towers are not entitled to review and decision within 150 days, or to any of the other protections of the Telecommunications Act.) Construction permits issued for new concealed PWSF towers shall be valid for a term of 180 days and shall lapse and be void if construction of the contemplated concealed PWSF tower is not completed within that time.

The following standards apply to new AM/FM/TV/DTV broadcasting facilities:

a. An antenna, antenna array and/or antenna-supporting structure for AM/FM/TV/DTV facilities licensed by the Federal Communications Commission shall only be permitted in zoning districts CO or IN in the City.

b. Any applicant for the construction or installation of any antenna, antenna array and/or antenna-supporting structure for use as an AM, FM, TV or DTV broadcasting facility must demonstrate, prior to submitting an application, a valid FCC construction permit for the proposed location (showing NAD 27 coordinates and appropriate conversion to NAD 83 coordinates) together with an FAA Determination of No Hazard to Air Navigation (Form 7460) for the same coordinates.

c. An antenna, antenna array and/or antenna-supporting structure for use as an AM, FM, TV or DTV broadcasting facility shall, in no event, exceed 250 feet in height.

d. Any antenna-supporting structure, equipment enclosures and ancillary structures shall meet the minimum setback requirements for the land use district where they are located, except that where the minimum setback distance for an antenna-supporting structure from any property line or ROW is less than the height of the proposed antenna-supporting structure, the minimum setback distance shall be increased to equal the height of the proposed antenna-supporting structure. However, in all instances, the minimum setback distance from the setback line of any residentially zoned property, with a constructed residence or potential residence, shall be at least 200 percent of the height of the entire proposed structure.

e. The entire antenna-supporting structure and all appurtenances shall be designed pursuant to the wind speed design requirements of ASCE 7-95, including any subsequent modification to those specifications.

f. Any facility shall be illuminated in accordance with FAA requirements to provide aircraft obstruction lighting, where required. Any lighting required by the FAA must be of the minimum intensity and number of flashes per minute (such as the longest duration between flashes) allowable by the FAA. No strobes or other lighting shall be permitted unless required by the FAA.

g. New towers shall maintain a galvanized gray finish or other accepted contextual or compatible color, except as required by federal rules or regulations.

h. The radio frequency emissions shall comply with FCC standards for such emissions on an individual and cumulative basis with any adjacent facilities. The applicant shall certify that any and all new services shall cause no harmful interference to the existing City of Sedona Public Safety Communications equipment.

i. Applicants shall provide for a fence or wall around the proposed facility that meets the requirements of Section 4.4.B(4)c.5.

j. Landscaping and buffering shall be required around the perimeter of development areas, as required by Section 5.6, Landscaping, Buffering, and Screening, except that the Planning and Zoning Commission may waive the required landscaping otherwise required under Section 5.6 on one or more sides of the development areas or allow the placement of required landscaping elsewhere on the development area when the required landscape area is located adjacent to undevelopable lands or lands not in public view. Alternative landscaping may be approved by the Planning and Zoning Commission. Landscaping shall be installed on the outside of the perimeter fence or wall.

k. The only signage that is permitted upon an antenna-supporting structure, equipment enclosure, or fence (if applicable) shall be informational, and for the purpose of identifying the tower (such as ASR registration number), as well as the party responsible for the operation and maintenance of the facility, its current address and telephone number, security or safety signs, and property manager signs (if applicable). If more than 220 voltage is necessary for the operation of the facility and is present in a ground grid or in the tower, signs located every 20 feet and attached to the fence or wall shall display in large, bold, high contrast letters (minimum height of each letter: four inches) the following: “HIGH VOLTAGE – DANGER.”

Applicant shall furnish evidence that the proposed facility does not violate requirements in Section 5.3, Grading and Drainage.

1. New towers shall be configured and located in a manner that shall minimize adverse effects including visual impacts on adjacent properties. The applicant shall demonstrate that alternative locations, configurations, and facility types have been examined and shall address in narrative and graphic form the feasibility of any alternatives that may have fewer adverse effects on adjacent properties than the facility, configuration and location proposed.

2. The following attributes shall be considered from vantage points at adjacent properties, roadways and occupied structures:

i. Height and location;

ii. Mass and scale;

iii. Materials and color;

iv. Illumination;

v. Existing and proposed vegetation and intervening structures; and

vi. Overall aesthetics of the proposed structure.