17.200.005 Purpose.
The purpose of this chapter and Chapters 17.205, 17.210, and 17.220 SMC is to provide specific regulations for the placement, construction, modification and removal of WCF. Pursuant to the guidelines of Section 704 of the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, 47 U.S.C., Chapter 5, Subchapter III, Part I, Section 332(c)(7) and other applicable city, state and federal rules, regulations, and guidelines, the provisions of this chapter are not intended to and shall not be interpreted to prohibit or to have the effect of prohibiting the provision of wireless services, nor shall the provisions of this chapter be applied in such a manner as to unreasonably discriminate among providers of functionally equivalent wireless services.
(1) The goals of these chapters are to:
(a) Encourage the location of towers in nonresidential areas and to minimize the total number of tall towers throughout the city;
(b) Encourage the joint use of existing tower sites;
(c) Encourage users of towers and antennas to locate them, to the extent possible, in areas where the impact on the city is minimal;
(d) Encourage users of towers and antennas to configure them in a way that minimizes the visual impact of the towers and antennas;
(e) Strongly encourage the providers of wireless services to use concealment technology;
(f) Provide standards for the siting of WCF and other wireless communications facilities (such as television and AM/FM radio towers);
(g) Facilitate the ability of the providers of wireless services to provide such services throughout the city quickly, effectively and efficiently; and
(h) Prioritize the location of WCF on existing structures such as ballfield lights, transmission towers, utility poles or similar structures, particularly when located on public property.
(2) Accordingly, the city council finds that the promulgation of these chapters is warranted and necessary to:
(a) Manage the location of towers and antennas in the city;
(b) Protect residential areas and other land uses from potential adverse impacts of towers and antennas;
(c) Minimize visual impacts of towers and antennas through careful design, siting, landscaping, screening, innovative camouflaging techniques and concealment technology;
(d) Accommodate the growing need for towers and antennas;
(e) Promote and encourage shared use and co-location on existing towers as a desirable option rather than construction of additional single-use towers; and
(f) Avoid potential damage to adjacent properties through engineering and proper siting of WCF. (Ord. 1469 § 4 (Att. C), 2019).