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HomeMy WebLinkAbout1997-0225 JT Council-Planning SS PACKET Joint Study Session Ashland City Council and Ashland Planning Commission Tuesday, February 25, 1997 7:00 nm Ashland City Council Chambers 1175 East Main Street Discussion Topics: 7:00 Local Improvement Districts and the Land Use Process 8:00 Presentation of the proposed Cellular Tower Ordinance 9:00 Adjourn Please call the Ashland Planning Department at 488-5305 if you have any questions or cannot attend the meeting. Thank you. YA('r ES, SU'- PLr^,h,JNSr DEFT CI TV iAL.L. A= eland , 0F.' 9;5207 e�{0F. H4y emarancfnm November 6, 1996 GREGG� u- Honorable Mayor and City Council `,{{� Councilor Laws, Wheeldon and Hagen �9 rum: Recommended changes to LID policies U ject: Attached is a copy of a staff report summarizing the history and present policies governing local improvement procedures in the City of Ashland. Our committee has circulated this report to interested citizens and held an open forum to discuss its contents on September 16. After full consideration of the comments and suggestions made at that meeting, the committee would like to recommend that a public hearing be scheduled-for December 3, 1996 to consider the adoption of the following policy changes. 1. Modify our current policy on land use approvals to require that instead of requiring an agreement for future improvements, that the developer: (a) Prepay the estimated amount of the required improvements, and pre-sign in favor of the formation of an LID; or (b) At the option of the city, require the developer to install a full half-street abutting the property. (c) Establish the average cost of a residential street at $135.00 per lineal foot, to be adjusted annually by the Engineering News Record (ENR) index of construction costs. (d) 'Adopt a policy for unusual street conditions (e.g. hillside areas) that allow a supplemental assessment in an LID whenever the actual cost exceeds 10% of the average cost in (c), above. 2. Direct the City Recorder to prominently include the total estimated cost of future street improvements on any lien search for a property on which a pre-paving agreement was previously required. 3. Establish an "Arterial Street Assistance Account" to cover the extraordinary costs on arterial and collector streets, as follows: (a) Commit to city participation of costs in excess of the average cost of a residential street, independent of any other County, State or Federal assistance. (b) Pay for the following excess costs on arterial or collector streets: (1) Extra pavement width or depth. (2) Extra sidewalk width. (3) Oversize storm drains serving more than the project area. (4) Up to 50% of the cost of traffic calming measures. (5) Additional street lighting or signage. (c) Increase the Transportation Utility fee by $50,000 and earmark- these funds for a new "Arterial Street Assistance Account." This would add 37 cents monthly to a single family residential account. (d) Establish a policy that senior citizens over 65 and disabled persons, with a household income of less than 530,000 may defer assessment payments of up to 525,000 until the property is sold or transferred. A lien would be recorded against the property. Recommendations:. It is also recommended that a public hearing be scheduled for December 3, 1996 at 7:00 p.m. to consider the proposed policy changes and the establishment of an "Arterial Street Assistance Account." It is also recommended that the staff be directed to prepare the appropriate resolution and written policies implementing the above recommendations. Attachment (1) 16\mcmo.031 LIDs in Ashland Background The City of Ashland's policy, through its Comprehensive Plan, has been to enhance transportation by fully improving its streets and thereby reduce the cost of maintenance. Improvement also enhances air and water quality by promoting multi-modal transportation, .. an d enhances access for the police and fire departments and other service providers. In subdivisions and in other developments under the Land-use Ordinance, streets are "improved" v,hen they have curbs, gutters, storm drains, sidewalks, park rows, street trees, street lighting, and appropriate traffic control devices, and are paved to lane widths appropriate for the vehicle volumes they are planned to carry, including bicycle lane width where required. If any of these elements are lacking, a street may need further' improvement. Paved streets are less expensive to maintain over the long run, since gravel streets quickly deteriorate with use--especially when wet. In the winter, gravel streets erode and contribute particulates to storm sewers and natural drainage ways. In the summer, unimproved streets reduce air quality by generating dust. Police and fire vehicles can also respond more quickly in emergencies if they are traveling over paved surfaces. Authority for Formation of LIDs Streets can be improved by cities, developers, or individual property owners. Property owners residing along a given section of a street may implement their street improvements under a Local Improvement District (LID). The majority of streets in Ashland have been improved by the LID process or by subdivision development, and all are maintained by the City of Ashland. State law allows all incorporated Oregon cities to create LIDs. In 1874, Ashland's first city charter granted the City authority for the formation of LIDs. City records show that LID projects were implemented as early as 1911, and LIDs continue to fund such recent improvements as Lori Lane, upper Ashland Loop Road and Lower Tolman Creek Road. By providing low interest tax-exempt bonds, LIDs provide a way for property owners to improve their neighborhoods on a cooperative basis. 1 City Participation Over time, the City of Ashland has contributed to LIDs in various ways. Between 1950 and 1965 the City, at the request of developers, improved streets through the LID process with the cost of the improvement being bom by new homeowners. This policy was discontinued in 1965. In the late 1960's and early '70's, many other cities continued to build subdivision streets at the developer's request in anticipation of future home sales. The new homeowners within the development were expected to take on the LID payments. When die developers defaulted on their projects, the cost of the street improvements on unsold lots shifted from the developer to the local taxpayers. Initiation and Notification Under State Law and our local ordinance, there are three typical methods by which LIDs may be initiated: (1) by a petition submitted by a group of property owners; (2) by resolution of the Council; (3) at an individual property owner/developer's request. Ashland's. policy has been to require that more than 50% of the property owners must be signed in favor of an LID to initiate the process, but this is not a State requirement. State law allows the City Council to initiate LIDs with or without signatures, provided that no more than two- thirds (67%) of the affected owners do not object at the first public hearing. The Council legally has a great deal of flexibility when it comes to the creation and apportionment of costs for LIDs. ORS 223.389 requires public notice and a hearing before a proposed improvement is authorized. By State law, the first hearing determines whether or not the City Council wishes to go forward, but not the determination of the final assessment. Ashland City Ordinance, however, requires that after the initial public hearing no more participants can be added to the LID. After bids are received, the final.per lot share of the LID may not exceed the original estimate by more than 10% unless a majority of the owners consent to proceed, after notification. Bancroft Bonding To benefit homeowners and property owners, the Bancroft Act was created in the 1920's by the State Legislature (ORS 223.205 to 223.300) and provided a uniform, low interest means to pay for LIDs. These "Bancroft bonds" also allow LIDs to be paid for over a specific period of time (typically 10 )'ears). 2 Current Assessments Still Due Currently, Ashland has 19 Local Improvement Districts using LID Bancroft bonding. 'Nese districts represent 172 accounts with a total outstanding balance of $1,570,063. Methods of Assessment There are five basic allocation methods of street assessment used by cities in Oregon: lineal street frontage, lot area, per lot, trip generation, and zone of benefit. These methods, or a combination of these methods, are commonly used throughout cities in Oregon. Zone apportionment has been used when proximity to the improvement is considered a benefit. An example would be Corvallis' use of zone of benefit apportioning for a commercial parking lot, assuming greater proximity is of greater benefit. Ashland in recent years has used a combination of lineal street frontage and lot area to calculate the cost per property. Portland has used a combination of frontage and zone of benefit; Medford has used a combination of frontage and/or dwelling units; The Dalles has used a formula of 25% frontage and 75% area, with side streets participating by zone; and Corvallis, using 50% frontage and 50% area. Impact of LIDS on Ashland Street Improvement The majority of streets in Ashland have been improved either by an LID or through the development of subdivisions. In the past 10 years, 31 streets were improved through LIDS. The total cost for these projects in 1996 dollars was $2,811,185. Development of an "Arterial Street Assistance Account" Arterial or collector streets require a wider, stronger travel surface, and usually include additional amenities not found on local residential streets. Residents on arterial and collector streets object to paying the additional costs of improving their street for community use. To provide a method for the entire community to share in these additional costs, a revolving fund entitled the "Arterial Street Assistance Account" could be created. To analyze the different funding options, staff has assumed an annual target revenue of$150,000. Unexpended revenues would roll-over annually, letting this fund build. Moneys would be expended on a first-come-first-served basis. The account would offset the additional cost of improvements on arterial or collector streets identified in the Comprehensive Plan, and would only apply to outright permitted uses in Single Family Residential Zones. Commercially zoned .properties and conditional uses in residential zones would not benefit. Schools and parks would also be assessed. 3 The "Arterial Street Assistance Account" would be in addition to the $1.072 million in transportation needs identified in the Capital Improvement Program that remain unfunded. Individual Areas of City Participation There are a number of areas the City could examine to identify improvement costs that exceed those of a typical residential street, and where additional City participation from she "Arterial Street Assistance Account" might be considered: 1. Extra pavement thickness and/or width for additional lanes, truck traffic or industrial use. 12—Pedestrian Usa;g: sidewalk width where more than the neighborhood is servcj, !, and where sidewalk width nos to exceed 4 feet. 3. Storm drain system reouirements/over-sizing: included where the system seises more than the local neighborhood. 4. Traffic calming: which is not necessary on low traffic volume streets. 5. Street classification: designation as arterials, sub-arterials; collector and sub- collector streets. 6. Exemptions by die City: exemptions to be on a case by case basis by the Council which would be paid by the City. { Possible Funding Sources r Staff has examined what the revenue potential of various funding options would be if the Qrh, were to collect approximately $150,000 annually for an "Arterial Street Assistance Acco::ni." Council could utilize one or more of the following options, or combining financing from several options: 1. Systems Development Charges (SDCs). There is currently a proposal to incre�_se the Transportation Systems Development Charge. Three options were presented to the SDC review committee, and the option which will collect the least amount of money was sele.::ed; a $10,000 per year estimated increase. This could be increased to bring in an additional $10,000 per year for the "Arterial Street Assistance Fund." The current Transportation SDC is lower than those charged by Medford, Phoenix, or Jackson County. There is a rationa_ nexus with growth to increase these charges, since development increases the demands or: e transportation system. SDCs, however, can only be used to pay 7% percent of projects attributable to future growth. . 2. Increase Transportation Utility Fee. The current residential fee is $2.41 per month. If this were increased by an additional $1.15 (or $3.56 per month) an additional A $150,000 would be collected annually for transportation. Everyone with a utility account would pay this fee, regardless of their level of use of the transportation system. This fee currently supports the sidewalk installation subsidy, and the bus fare subsidy. Medford's Transportation Utility Fee is currently $3.50 per month. 3. Serial Levy/Propegy Tax The proposed $150,000 per year could also be raised by increasing the property tax base by 14 cents/$1,000 valuation. This would require voter approval. 4. _City Tax. This was attempted in 1979, but was referred to the voters and defeated. Since revenue would be collected only from Ashland gas stations, it was alleoe._ that some loss of sales could occur. A regional gas tax would probably avoid this proble-., but it is doubtful that it would receive regional voter support. An Ashland one cent per gallon gas tax would raise a minimum of S150,000. 5. Hotel/.Nfotel Tax increase A 1 increase in this tax would generafe approximately $110,000. 6. Local Vehicle Registration Fee. If we estimate that there are 7,612 households. each with an average of 1.5 vehicles, Ashland residents would pay S13.00 annually to raid $150,000. There is also some question as to whether the State has preempted this area. 7. Business LicPnsP Increa - Since, in theory, businesses would be generating additional transportation system impacts, this tax could be increased. An increase of S10 -. the base fee would raise 517,000. Options to Pre-paving Agreements Another major area for street improvement funding review concerns pre-paving agreements. One of the most frequent complaints by those involved in the implementation of LIDS is =: "I knew I had signed something, but I didn't know it would cost this much", or that "the developer should have paid this when my house was built." In order to properly reflect the true cost of development and to allow the cost of abutting street improvements to be included in the mortgage costs, consideration should be given to z change in the existing policy of simply signing in favor of future improvements, to the following.- I. Deposit cost of improvements in advance. The cost of improvements would be due a: the time s l other development fees are paid. This option would elimina(e the benefits of t exempt financing, but street improvement costs could then be included in mortgage costs. Financial �ternauves fof low income or affordable housing could i)e at Council's discret o .-. 5 This option presents the challenge.of accurately estimating the final cost of improvements in advance, possibly by many years. Administrative overhead is also increased for the Finance Department and Engineering Division. The Finance Department must track the revenue received, but may also be able to earn interest on the fund equal to the inflating project cost. Engineering is burdened by having to estimate costs years before actual construction. The project design itself could change, or various cost elements could increase. The City would then be bound to make up the difference between the original estimate and actual project costs. Those lots that are prepaid in favor of the LID should also be included in the boundary of the proposed LID and counted as a percentage in favor of the improvement. 2. Make pre-paving agreements more generally known, including costs (i.e. lien searches, title reports). If lots within subdivisions or minor land partitions are each sign:" in favor of an LID at their creation, notice of the LID should be included in the title repo-. The notice on the report or lien search letter should be highlighted somehow to indicate :e property is already signed in favor, to direct the purchaser to contact the Public Works Department for more information, and should include an estimate of the current cost of th:c LID for that parcel. - The estimate creates the same problems for Engineering as noted above. (An estimate m:_ .-1 have to read something like "If this parcel is improved as proposed in the attached diagi the LID cost estimate in 1996 dollars for this parcel would be SXXX.xx) Those lots that �e signed in favor of the LID will continue to be included in the boundary of the proposed L and counted as a percentage in favor of the improvement, and notified of pending LID implementation. This estimate may also be a source of future conflict if the cost is significantly higher than the estimate. Prepayment agreements could be recorded in the City's lien search program. 7-his would provide an additional notice when properties are sold. Although this may be a duplication c= Jackson County's lien search, it would provide an opportunity for the City of Ashland to notify buyers of LID commitments. In conjunction with this, the City of Ashland could work with title companies to help them provide better information to the public. 3. Require street installation on abutting streets. Developers could be required to ma-ke the improvements on the half-streets abutting their subdivisions, minor land partitions or developments. Deferral Pro-,rams for Low Income Seniors In 1977, ORS 311.702 to 311.735 provided for the deferral of special assessments for - nic.- with low income. To qualify for deferral, the progeny owner must: 1. Be over 62 years of age. 2. Own or be purchasing the propcay fee si::iple. 3. Reside on the property. 4. Not have purchased the property at a foreclosure sale. 5. Have a combined annual gross income of less than $17,500. The deferred special assessment paid by the State, plus interest, becomes a lien against the property which becomes due when the property owner dies or the ownership of the properly is otherwise transferred. A qualifying spouse may continue the deferral. Some cities, such as Eugene and Lake Oswego, additionally have had their own low-income deferral progrun for seniors. While there are no current Oregon programs for only low-income residents, a locally funded program for these residents could be developed. These liens clear (are paid) when the property changes ownership. Some methods of assistance the City may want to consider include deferring assessments; extending the Bancroft Bonding period from 10 to 20 years (possibly not a cost effective option); and possibly applying Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding to census tracts identified as low-income neighborhoods. Suggested Course of Action: 1. Modify policy on land-use approvals to require that instead of requiring agreement for future street or alley improvements, that the applicant: a. Prepay the estimated amount of fne required improvements and pre-sign in favor of the formation of an LID, with the understanding that no additional costs will be assessed for that project at the time it is implemented; or b. At the option of the City, require the applicant to install the abutting street improvements. 2. Direct the Engineering Division to estimate the 1996 cost of outstanding (previously obtained) pre-paving agreements and direct the City Recorder to prominently include the estimated cost of future improvements on any request for a lien search when property is being sold. 3. Adopt an "Arterial Street Assistance Account" to provide a cost-sharing in future projects as follows: a. Establish the basic cost of a standard residential street in 1996 dollars of 5135. 11 per linear foot, adjusted annually by the Engineering News Record (ENR) index of construction costs. b. Commit to City participation of any costs in excess of this.basic cost from the Arterial Street Assistance Account, independent of any other outside county, state or federal assistance. . Select a source, or combination of sources, of funding from the list of options, which result in an annual revenue stre am of approximately $150,000 to cover City participation in these excess costs. d.'- -e a decision on the following issues: 1. Increase participation in sidewalks from 25% to 50%? 2. Include or exclude traffic ca ming measures. 3. Subsidize engineering design, inspection, and other overhead and J financing costs? 4. Request that Staff bring back a resolution outlining the above policy changes for Council adoption. i s ORDINANCE NO. ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 18.72.040 AND ADOPTING SECTION 18.72.180 OF THE ASHLAND MUNICIPAL CODE RELATING TO WIRELESS COMMUNICATION FACILITIES THE PEOPLE OF THE CITY OF ASHLAND DO ORDAIN Al FOLLOWS: SECTION 1 . DRAFT February 21, 1997 18.72.040 Approval Process 5. All installation of wireless communication facilities shall be subject to the requirements of Section 18.72.180, in addition to all applicable Site Design and Use Standards. a. Any installation of wireless communication facilities in any residential or SO zone shall also be subject to a Conditional Use Permit (18.104) b. Freestanding structures in any zone located in or within 100 feet of the Historic District, as designated in the Ashland Comprehensive Plan, are prohibited. C. Facilities with a proposed height exceeding 80 feet (including antennae) in the M-1 and E-1 zones when located within 300 feet of a residential zone are subject to a Conditional Use Permit. d. Freestanding support structures are prohibited within the C-1 zone, except for the Freeway Overlay District. Antennae and associated equipment attached to pre- existing structures must meet the requirements of Section ' 18.72.180(C.) 6. Any exterior change to a structure listed on the National Register of Historic Places. SECTION 2. 18.72. 180 Development Standards for Wireless Communication Facilities A. In addition to the submittals required in section 18.72.060, the following items shall be provided as part of the application for a wireless coin munication facility. PAGE 1-Ordinance(, 1. A photo of each of the major components of the proposed installation, including a photo montage of the overall facility. 2. Exterior elevations of both the building and the support structure, either freestanding or attached drawn to scale (min I"=10'). 3. A set of manufacturers specifications of the support structure, antennae, and accessory buildings with a listing of materials being proposed including colors of the exterior materials. 4. A site plan indicating all structures, land uses and zoning designation within 150 feet of the site boundaries, or 300 feet if the height of the structure is greater than 80 feet. 5. A map showing existing wireless communication facility si=.es within a 5 mile radius of the site currently being applied for. 6. Any other documentation the applicant feels is relevant to comply with the applicable design standards. B. All freestanding wireless communication facilities shall be located, designed, constructed, treated and maintained in accordance with the following standards: 1. All facilities shall be installed and maintained in compliance with :ae requirements of the Building Code. 2. Freestanding support structures with a total height (from grade to ., > or antennae) exceeding 30' must allow for collocation of at least one additional user, unless deemed unnecessary by the Hearings Autho=.ty. If collocation is not feasible, documentation is required to substaneste that finding. 3. All associated transmittal equipment must be housed in a building, which must be designed and landscaped to achieve minimal visual impact with the surrounding environment. 4. Applicant is required to remove all equipment from the site and return the site to its original condition if the facility is abandoned for a period greater than six months. Removal and restoration must occur within 90 days of the six month period. 5. When lighting is required by a federal or state authority, it must be shielded to minimize impact on surrounding properties. 6. All towers must have a non-reflective finish and color that will minimize the visual impact. 7. Facilities shall be located in the area of least visual impact within the site which will allow the facility to function consistent with its purpose. 8. Each addition of an antennae must follow the approval process for new facilities. PAGE 2-Ordinance(e:pa.x.e o,d) C. All wireless communication facilities attached to a pre-existing structure shall be located, designed, constructed, treated and maintained in accordance with the following standards: 1. Antennae must have a height no greater than ten feet above the highest portion of the structure to which it is attached. 2. All associated equipment must be housed in a building which minimizes to the greatest extent possible, its view from street level. This includes painting the building and antennae to blend with the existing structure. 3. Facilities located in the Historic District shall be obscured from view from the public right-of-way, excluding alleys. 4. Applicant is required to remove all equipment from the site and return the site to its original condition if the facility is abandoned for a period greater than six months. Removal and restoration - must occur within 90 days of the six month period. 18.08 Definitions Antenna - The device used to capture an incoming or to transmit an outgoing radio-frequency signal from wireless communication facilities. Antennas include the following types: 1. Omni-direction (whip) antenna - receives and transmits signals in,a 360 degree pattern 2. Directional or Parabolic (panel or disk) Antenna - receives and transmits signals in a directional pattern typically encompassing an arc or 120 degrees. They.are typically rectangular in shape. 3. Microwave antennas - receives and transmits to link two telecommunication facilities together by line of sight. They are typically circular or parabolic in shape and can be a grid or solid material. Collocation - The use of a single support structure or site by more than one wireless communications provider. Freestanding support structure - A stand alone structure used solely as a mounting device for antennae. Freestanding support structures on which antennae can be mounted include: PAGE 3-Ordlnance(e.Piamcou.o,d) Monopole - A freestanding support structure which consists of a single pole sunk into the ground or attached to a foundation. Lattice Tower - A freestanding support structure which consists of a network of cross braces that forms a tower. These types of structures are primarily used for taller towers and require a larger base than that of a monopole. Pre-existing structures - Structures in existance prior to an application for a wireless communication facility installation. Transmittal Equipment - All wireless communication facility equipment excluding the support structure and the antennae. Wireless Communication Facilities (WCF) - An unstaffed facility for the transmission and reception of radio or microwave signals used for comriierciai communications. These facilities include antenna, support structures and equipment enclosures. The foregoing ordinance was first READ on the day of 1996, mid duly PASSED and ADOPTED this day of , 1996. Barbara Christensen, City Recorder SIGNED and APPROVED this day of 1996. Catherine M. Golden, Mayor Approved as to form: i Paul Nolte, City Attorney PAGE 4-0rdinance(v:pa.\,e ..,dj April 23, 1996 FEDERAL COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION FACT SHEET Information provided by the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau NEW NATIONAL WIRELESS TOWER SITING POLICIES The Telecommunications Act of 1996 contains important provisions concerning the Fof towers and other facilities for use in providing personal wireless services. Most state and local communities have worked closely with cellular and ether wirele_s service providers on such placement Plans, but this new law establishes new responsibilities for communities and for the Federal Communications Corr.rnissian (FCC). The rapid expansion in the wireless industry makes these issues even more important. This fact sheet is intended to explain the new provisions and to help state and local governments as they deal with the complex issues of facilities siting to their locai communities. At the end of this fact sheet, you will find names of contacts for additional information about this area and other issues before the FCC. __ Section 704 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996 (the "1996 .Act") govems federai, state and local govemment oversight of siting of"personal wireless service" facilities The 1996 Act establishes a comprehensive framework for the exercise of jurisdiction by state and local zoning authorities over the construction, modification and p'lacemen: of facilities such as towers for cellular, personal communications service (PCSI, and specialized mobile radio (SMR) transmitters:. - The new law preserves local zoning authority, but clarifies when the exercise of local zoning authority may be preempted by the FCC. - Section 704 prohibits any action that would discriminate between different Eof personal wireless services, such as cellular, wide-area SMR and broadband PCS, It also prohibits any action that would ban altogether the construction, modification or placement of these kinds of facilities in a particular area. - The law also specifies procedures which must be followed for acting on a request to place these kinds of facilities, and provides for review in the courts or the FCC of any decision by a zoning authority that is inconsistent with Section 704. - Finally, Section 704 requires the federal government to take steps to help licensees in spectrum-based services such as PCS and cellular, get access to preferred sites for their facilities. Federal agencies and departments will work directly with licensees to make federal property available for this purpose, and the FCC is directed to work with the states to find ways for states to accommodate licensees who wish to erect towers on state property, or use state easements and rights-of-way. The attachments to this fact sheet seek to provide information concerning tower siting for personal wireless communications services. They include a summary of the provisions of Section 704 of the 1996 Act, the actual text of Section 704, and a technical information summary that describes the cellular, wide-area SMR and broadband PCS technologies that underlie the majority of requests for new tower sites. Questions about this topic, and about federal regulation of wireless telecommunications services in general, may be addressed to Karen Brinkmann, Associate Chief of;he Wireless Telecommunications Bureau. 202-418-0783, (e-mail: kbrinkma',5,'.fcc.go%) Questions about the Telecommunications Act of 1996 generally may be`addressed to Sheryl Wilkerson in the FCC's Office of Legislative and Intergovernmental Affairs, 202-418-1902 (e-mail: swilkers@fcc.gov). Questions about tower siting. licensing issues or technical matters may be addressed to Steve Markendoiff, Chief of the Broadband Branch in the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, 202-418-0620. (e-mail: smarkend @fcc.gov). This Fact Sheet is available on our fax-on-demand system. The telephone nvniber or fax-on demand is 202-418-2830. The Fact Sheet may also be found on the `V ,i- Web at http://www.fcc.gov/wrtb/wirehome.htmi. SUMMARY OF SECTION 704 OF T14E TELECOMMUNICATIONS AC.T OF 1996 The following is a summary of key provisions. The text of Section 704 is.reproduced in its entirety as an attachment to this summary. 1. Local Zoning Authority Preserved Section 704(a) of the 1996 Act amends Section 332(c) of the Communications Act("Mobile Services") by adding a new paragraph (7). ft preserves the authority of state and local governments over decisions regarding the placement, construction , and modification of personal wireless service facilities, except as provided in the new paragraph (7). 2. Exceptions a. States and Localities May Not Take Discriminatory or Prohibiting Actions Section 704(a) of the 1996 Act states that the regulation of the placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities by any State or local government or instrumentality thereot shall not unreasonably discriminate among providers of functionally equivalent services and shall not prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting the provision of personal wireless services. 47 U.S.C. §332(c)(7)(B)(i). Review: Any person that is adversely affected by a state or local governments action or failure to act that is inconsistent with Section 332(c)(7) may seek expedited review in the courts. 47 U.S.C. §332(c)(7)(B)(v). b. Procedures for Ruling on Requests to Place, Construct or Modify Personal Wireless Service Facilities Section 704(a) also requires a State or local government to act upon a request for authorization to place, construct, or modify personal wireless service facilities within a reasonable time. Any decision to deny a request must be made in writing and be supported by substantial evidence contained in a written record. 47 U.S.C. §332(c)(7)(B)(u), (iii). c. Regulations Based On Environmental Effects of RF Emissions Preempted Section 704(a) of the 1996 Act expressly preempts state and local government regulation of the placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities on the basis of the environmental effects of radio frequency emissions to the extent that such facilities comply with the FCC's regulations concerning such emissions. 47 U.S.C. §332(c)(7)(B)(v). Review: Parties may seek relief from the FCC if they are adversely affected by a state or local government's final action or failure to act that is inconsistent with this provision. 47 U.S.C. § 332(c)(7)(B)(v). 3. Federal Guidelines Concerning RF Emissions Section 704(b) requires the FCC to prescribe and make effective new rules regarding the environmental effects of radio fi-equency emissions, which are under consideration in ET Docket 93-62, within 180 days of enactment of the 1996 Act. NOTE. The pendency of this proceeding before the FCC does not abject the rules which currently are in effect governing the environmental effects of radio frequency emissions. Section 704(b) gives preemptive effect to these existing rules. See related attachments to the Fact Sheet. 4. Use of Federal or State Government Property a. Federal Property Section 704(c) of the 1996 Act requires the President (or his designee) to prescribe procedures by which the federal government may make available on a fair, reasonable and nondiscriminatory basis, property, rights-of-way and easements under their control, for the placement of new spectrum-based telecommunications services. b. State Property With respect to facilities siting on state property, Section 704(c) of the 1996 Act requires the FCC to provide technical support to States to encourage them to make property, rights-of-way and easements under their jurisdiction available for the placement of new spectrum-based telecommunications services. NOTE- Information concerning technical support for tower siting which the FCC is snaking available to state and local governments is attached to the Fact Sheet. 5. Definitions "Personal wireless services" include commercial mobile services, unlicensed wireless services, and common carrier wireless exchange access services. 47 U.S.C. §332(c)(7)(C)(i). "Commercial mobile services" are defined in Section 332 of the Communications Act and the FCC's rules, and include cellular telephone services regulated under Part 22 of the FCC's rules, SMR services regulated under Part 90 of the FCC's rules, and PCS regulated under Part 24 of the FCC's rules. 47 C.F.R. §20.9. "Unlicensed wireless services" are defined as the offering of telecommunications services using duly authorized devices which do not require individual licenses; direct-to-home satellite services are excluded from this definition. 47 U.S.C. §332(c)(7)(C)(iii). COMPLETE TEXT OF SEC. 704 OF THE TELECOMMUNICATIONS ACT OF 1996 SEC. 704. FACILITIES SITING; RADIO FREQUENCY EMISSIG" STANDARDS. (a) NATIONAL WIRELESS TELECOMMUNICATIONS SITING POLICY- Section 332 (c) (47 U.S.C. 332 !c) ) is amended by adding at t.._ t.._ following new paragraph: ' (7) PRESERVATION OF LOCAL ZONING AUTHORITY- ' (A) GENERAL AUTHORITY- Except as provided in =..-_ paragraph, nothing in this Act shall limit or affect -._ authority of a State or local government or instru_me=c3l__y thereof over decisions regarding the placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless se-v: c.. facilities . ' (9) LINSTATIONS- ' (i) The regulation of the placement, construction, and modification of personal wireless service facilities by any State or local government c- instrumentality thereof-- (I) shall not unreasonably discriminate among pr_vids.s :� functionally equivalent services; and ' (II) shall not prohibit_ or have the effect of e=ohibt='..-- rr= provision of personal wireless services . (ii) A State or local government or thereof shall act on any request for place, construct, or modify personal wirelsss _. r . .._ facilities within a reasonable period or t_-:a aE __r tr.s request is duly filed with suca government_ or instrumentality, taking into account the nat_re -r.= scope of such request. (iii) Anv decision by a State or local instrumentality thereof to deny a req•.:est t construct, or modify personal wireless service facilities shall be in writing and supported t. substantial. evidence contained in a w--itte^. (iv) No State or local governmer--= or inst rimer:'--=__-_ thereof may regulate the placement, constructic modification of personal wireless service facill-_as the basis of the environmental effects of radio frequency emissions to the extent that such comply with the Commission's regulations concern:-; such emissions. ' (v) Any person adversely affected by any f'_;-__ action or failure to act by a State or local goverr�men'_ or any instrumentality thereof that is inco.-,sists.=.e with this subparagraph may, within 30 dais aft_-: action or failure to act, commence an actic-. it _- court of competent jurisdiction. The court and decide such action on an expedited zasis . A_ . oerson adversely affected by an act or failure tc _c_ by a State or local government or anv instru.,.er.:a::= thereof that is inconsistent with clause (iv) . petition the Concnissicn for relief. ' (C) DEFINITIONS- For purposes of this oaragraph-- ' (i) the term 'personal wireless services ' commercial mobile service=_, unlicensed wireless services, and common carrier wireless exchange accass services; (ii) the term -personal wireless service facia'_-_.e. means facilities for the provision of personal wires s. services; and the term unlicensed wireless service' .e.- .- t the offering of telecommunications services usi^.c 3uly authorized devices which do not require individual licenses, but does not mean the provision of direct-to-home satellite services (as defined i- section 303 (v) ) . ' . (b) RADIO FREQUENCY EMISSIONS- Within 180 days after the . enactment of this Act, the Commission shall complete action i-. ET Docket 93-02 to prescribe and make effective rules regarding 7.ne environmental effects of radio frequency emissions . (c) AVAILABILITY OF PROPERTY- Within 160 days of the enactment of this Act, the President or his designee shall prescribe prre_"r?s by whit: Federal departments and agencies may make avai-aoie fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory basis, property, rights-of-way, and easements under their control for the pl_crmer.: of new telecommunications services that are dependent, in who__ cc in part, upon the utilization of Federal spectrum rights for =:._ transmission or reception of such services . These procedures zav establish a presumption that recuests `_cr the use of property, rights-of-way, and easements by duly authorized providers -shoo-d be granted absent unavoidable direct conflict with the departmen. or agency's mission, or the current or planned use of the property, rights-of-way, and easements in question. Reasonable fee= may be charged to providers of such telecommunications services `-o- property, rights-of-way, and easements. The Commission shall provide technical support to States to encourage thee: to ma:<e property, rights-of-way, and easements under their jurisdict:or. available fur such purposes. TECHNICAL INFORMATION CONCERNING CELLULAR, SPECL46LIZED MOBILE RADIO AND PERSONAL COMMUNICATIONS SERVICES April 1996 'Cellular Information The FCC established rules and procedures for licensing cellular systems in the United States and its Possessions and Territories. These rules designated 306 Metropol.i.an Statistical Areas and 428 Rural Service Areas for a total of 734 cellular markets and spectrum was allocated to license 2 systems in each market. Cellular is allocated Spectrum in the 824-849 and 869-894 N1Hz ranges. Cellular licensees are generally required to license only the tower locations that make up their outer service contour. Licensees desiring to add or modify any tower locations that are within an already approved and licensed service area do not have to submit an application for that iocaton to be added to their cellular license, although they may need FCC approval if the antenna would constitute a major environmental action (See question 2, below) or would exceec the criteria specified in Part 17 of the FCC's Rules ("Construction, Marking and i.i�tin of Antenna Structures"). Part 17 includes criteria for determining when construction or placement of a tower would require prior notification to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). (See question 3, below.) A cellular system operates by dividing a large geographical service area into cells and assigning the same frequencies to multiple, non-adjacent cells. This is known in the industry as frequency reuse. As a subscriber travels across the service area the call is transferred (handed-ofd from one cell to another without noticeable interruption. All the cells in a cellular system are connected to a Mobile Telephone Switching Office (MTSO) by landline or microwave links. The MTSO controls the switching bemeen the Public Switched Telephone Network (PSTN) and the cell site for all wireline-to-mobil: and mobile-to-wireline calls. Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) Information Specialized Mobile Radio (SMR) service licensees provide land mobile communications on a commercial (i.e., for profit) or private basis. A traditional Sti1R system consists of one or more base station transmitters, one or more antennas and end user radio equipment which often consists of a mobile radio unit either provided by the end user or obtained from the SMR operator. The base station receives either teleplione transmissions from end users or low power signals from end user mobile radios. SMR systems operate in two distinct frequency ranges: 806-821/851-866 MHz (800 MHz) and 896-901/935-940 MHz (900 MHz). 800 MHz SMR services have been licensed by the FCC on a site-by-site basis, so that the SMR provider must approach the FCC and receive a license for each and every tower/base site. In the future the FCC will license this band on a wide-area market approach. 900 MHz SMR was originally licensed in 46 Designated Filing Areas (DFAs) comprised of only the top 50 markets in the country. The Commission is in the process of auctioning the remainder of the United States and its Possessions and Territories in the Rand McNally defined 51 Major Trading Areas. PCS Information Broadband PCS systems are very similar to the cellular systems but operate ir_ a higher frequency band, in the 1850-1990 MHz range. One other difference is that the FCC used different market areas for licensing purposes. The FCC used the Rand McNally definitions for 51 Major Trading Areas (MTAs) and 493 Basic Tradine Areas (BTAs). PCS was allocated spectrum for six Broadband PCS systems and 26 Karrowband systems. The six Broadband PCS systems will be licensed as follows: two Broadband PCS licenses will be issued for each of the 51 MTAs and four for each of the 493 BT-As. The 26 Narrowband systems will be licensed as follows: eleven Narrowband PCS licenses will be issued for nationwide systems, six for each of five regional areas, seven for each of the 51 MTAs and two for each of the 493 BTAs: PCS licensees are issued a blanket license for their entire market area and are not required to submit applications to license individual cell sites unless construction of the facility would be a mayor environmental action or would require FAA notification. Major environmental actions are defined by the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 that is discussed in question 2, below. Therefore, the FCC has no technical information on file concerning PCS base stations. Frequently asked questions concerning tower siting for personal wireless services. 1. Do local zoning authorities have any authority to deny a request for tower siting? Answer: Yes. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 specifically leaves in place the auU on'ty that local zoning authorities have over the placement of personal wireless facilities. It does prohibit the denial of facilities siting based on RF emissions if the licensee has complied with the FCC's regulations concerning RF emissions. It also requires that denials be based on a reasoned approach, and prohibits discrimination and outright bans on construction, placement and modification of personal wireless facilities. 2. What requirements dopersonal wireless communications licensees have to determine whether a site is in a flood plain? A historical site? Answer: All antenna structures must also comply with the National Environmental ol�y ct of 1969 (NEPA). as well as other mandatory federal environmental statutes. The FCC's rules that implement the federal environmental statutory provisions are contained in sections 1.1301-1.1319. The FCC's environmental rules place the responsibility on each applicant to investigate all the potential environmental effects. and disclose any significant effects on the environment in an Environmental Assessment (EA), as outlined in section 1.131 1, prior to constructing a tower. The applicant is required to consult section 1.1307 to determine if its proposed antenna structure wi It fall under any of the listed categories that may significantly affect the environment If it does, the applicant must provide an EA prior to proceeding with the tower construction and. under section 1.1312, must await FCC approval before commencing any such construction even if FCC approval is not otherwise required for such construction. The FCC places all proposals that may significantly impact the environment on public notice for a period of 30 days, seeking any public comments on the proposed structures. The categories set forth in section 1.1307 include: Wildemess Area Wildlife Preserve Endangered Species Historical Site Indian Religious Site Flood Plain Wetlands High Intensity White Lights in Residential Neighborhoods Excessive Radiofrequency Radiation Exposure 3. Are there any FCC regulations that govern where towers can or cannot be placed? Answer: The FCC mandates that personal wireless companies build out their systems so t atat aUeequate service is provided to the public. In addition, all antenna structures used fo* communications must be approved by the FCC in accordance with Part 17 of the FCC Rules. The FCC must determine if there is a reasonable possibility that the structure may constitute a menace to air navigation. The tower height and its proximity to an airport or flight path will be considered when making this determination. If such a determination is made the FCC will specify appropriate painting and lighting requirements. Thus, the FCC does not mandate where towers must be placed, but it may prohibit the placement of a tower in a particular location without adequate lighting and marking. 4. Does the FCC maintain any records on tower sites throughout the United States? How does the public get this information (if any)? Answer: The FCC maintains a general tower database on the following structures: (1) any.towers over 200 feet, (2) any towers over 20 feet on an existing structure (such as a building, water tower, etc_) and (3) towers that are close to airports that may cause potential hazards to air navigation. The FCC's licensing databases contain some base site information for Cellular and SMR systems. The general tower database and the Cellular and SMR data that maybe on file with the FCC is available in three places: (1)Cellular licensing information is available in the Public Reference Room of the Wireless Telecommunications Bureau's Commercial Wireless Division. The Public Reference Room is located on the fifth floor o£2025 M Street, NW, Washington, DC 20554, telephone (202)413-1350. On-line database searches of cellular licensing information along with queries of the FCC's general tower database can also be accomplished at the Public Reference Room. (2) People who would like to obtain general tower information through an on-line public access database shoA call or write Interactive Systems, Inc; 1601 North Kent St., Suite 1103, Arlington, VA 22209, telephone 703-812-8270. (3) The FCC does not duplicate these records, but has contracted with International Transcription Service, Inc. to provide this service. Requests for copies of information should be addressed to International Transcription Service, Inc. (ITS, Inc.), 2100 M St., NW, Suite 140, Washington, DC 20037, telephone 202-857-3800. 5. Why do Cellular and PCS providers require so many tower sites? Answer: Low powered transmitters are an inherent characteristic of Cellular Radio and B oand PCS. As these systems mature and more subscribers are added, the effective radiated power of the cell site transmitters is reduced so frequencies carl.be reused at closer intervals thereby inereasuig subscriber capacity. There are over 30 million mobile/portable cellular units and more than 22 thousand cell sites operating within the United States and its Possessions and Territories. PCS is just beginning to be offered around the country. Due to the fact that Broadband PCS is located in a higher ftequenc-= range, PCS operators will require more tower sites as they build their systems to provide coverage in their service areas as compared to existing Cellular carriers. Therefore, due to the nature of frequency reuse and the consumer demand for services. Cellular and PCS providers must build numerous base sites. 6. Can Cellular, SNfR and PCS providers share tower structures? Answer: Yes, it is technologically possible for these entities to share tower structures. Bow-ever, there are limits to how many base station transmitters a single tower can hole and different tower structures have different limits. Moreover, these providers are competitors in a more and more competitive marketplace and may not be willing to share tower space with each other. Local zoning authorities may wish to retain a consulting engineer to evaluate the proposals submitted by wireless communications licensees. The consulting engineer may be able to determine if there is some flexibility as to the geographic location of the tower. 7. Is the Federal government helping to find ways to accommodate multiple licensees of personal wireless services? Answer: Yes. The FCC has designated Steve Markendorff, Chief,mme Broadband Branch- orcial Wireless Division, Wireless Telecommunications Bureau, FCC to assist local zoning authorities and municipalities and respond to questions concemin, tower siting issues. His telephone number is 202-418-0620. Also,President Clinton issued an Executive Memorandum on August 10, 1995 directing the Administrator of General Services (GSA), in coordination with other Government departments and agencies, to develop procedures to facilitate appropriate access to Federal property for tie siting of mobile services antennas. GSA recently released "Government-Wide Procedures for Placing Commercial Antennas," 61 Fed Reg 14,100 (March 29, 1996). For further information contact James Herbert, Office of Property Acquisition and Realty Services, Public Building Service, General Services Administration, 18th & F Streets, `W, Washington, DC 20405, telephone 202-501-0376. S. Have any studies been completed on potential hazards of locating a tower/base site close to residential communities? Answer:.In connection with its responsibilities under NEPA, the FCC considers the potential effects of radiofrequency (RF) emissions from FCC-regulated transmitters on human health and safety. Since the FCC is not the expert agency in this area, it uses standards and guidelines developed by those with the appropriate expertise. For example, in the absence of a uniform federal standard on RF exposure, the FCC has relied since 1985 on the RF exposure guidelines issued in 1982 by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI C95.1-1982). In 1991, the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers (IEEE) issued guidelines designed to replace the RF ANSI exposure guidelines. These guidelines (ANSI/IEEE C95.1-1992) were adopted by ANSI. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 mandates that the FCC complete its proceeding in ET Docket 93-62; in which it is considering updating the RF exposure guidelines, no later than early August 1996. Copies of this proceeding can be obtained from the International Transcription Service, Inc. (ITS), telephone 202-857-3800. Presently RF emission requirements are contained in Section 1.1307(b) of the FCC's rules , 47 C.F.R. §1.1307(b), for all services. PCS has service specific RF emission provisions in Section 24.52 of the FCC's rules, 47 C.F.R. § 24.52. Additional information concerning RF emission hazards can be obtained through a variety of sources: (1) Information concerning RF hazards can be obtained on the World Wide Web at http-//www.fcc.gov/oet/faqs. RF safety questions are answered and further RF documents and information are contained under the Cellular Telephony Section. (2) OET Bulletins 56 and 65 concerning effects and potential RF hazards can be requested through the Radiofrequency Safety Program at 202-418-2464. Additionally, any specific questions concerning RF hazards can be answered by contacting the FCC at this phone number. The FCC maintains a Communications and Crisis Management Center which is staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. In the event of an emergency, such as a radiofirequency hazard threatening public safety or health you may call 202-632-6975. The watch officer who answers at that number can contact our compliance personnel in your area and dispatch them within a matter of hours. I S I'Lw min:; IL r.n,brr III,(I Wireless World Telecommunications - ' technology—and local government response— is at a crossroads. 1 By William Covington ompanies hoping to succeed in the highly competitive " - `=-- communications arena must. '. "'. have good relations with to- cat governments. It's the to- cal governments, after all, that supply the franchises and permits needed to - deliver cellular and paging services and 9�� �_ other communications products. 1 So far, those ielations have been piclty ing, the lat- buildings, on billbo:-r z good. Local governments want the ben- est innovation is nsrrov,banci messagiue. utility poles, and on efits that new forms of communication This ser vice a110%,5customerstoacknow•'- towersareconsiderec - call bring, and v ireless service providers edge a page by p:essing a Lution oil then understand that cities and towns must pagers. Soon they will be able to receive exercise some control over what comes short text messages as well. Several consideration_ ::.,::n1 into the community. The challenge is to Wireless communications typically re- cell sites are placed. ..._. ._ .-.. .... keep things on an even keel at a time of quire three components: a device (iele- site must be close em.-:::.:-. :o\t'.;s : ..:. rapid growth in the telecommunications phone, pager, or portable computed, a receive the signal cell sitehadio link; and a switching of- _ ; s°_c indusU�y. � small portable phone o;a:: ::cs:: A sign of that growth is the auctions flee. livery maio! metropolitan area has elation is that cell sitci •.at i_- held on August 26 by the Federal Conn one or more switching offices, where far enough apart to '- munications'Commission. On that date, calls from cell sites are processed. The ']'he third is interfere -Pit the FCC began the second in a series of calls are then sent out through the tele- and large bodies of •::;;:;r for auctions that will allow more companies phonesystelll Whenawirelesscustomer candistorlasignal,prey:.:=,:r:2 )I:-,- :.. to offer wireless coil) nunicationser vices. calls another �%iieless telephone, the sei vice. switching office locates the cell site cloy Finally,according;, esl to the party being called and connects service requires that ::.r The term %vireless communications re- that caller via that cell site. Over 90 cell site in ever,net;! fens to a family of communication de- Percent of all wireless communication=_ within every six to saua:: vices that can send and receive messages still start of end on a traditional tole- clepending upon leer.=.`.-. .'.:.'. :: instantly—bv voice in the case of cellular phone system !17,11,01 "wireline" in the customers, telephones or alphanumerically in the business). Wireless comma:•s_.;:. ... c'. . . case of pagers. Soon, too, computer users N'Vhen a call is mae.e. the dtvrce seeks can shalt Cell sites. will he able to s,.:nd and receive data via out a radio link. also kno.:n as a cell site. ever,share the radioe-::::. ::: :a wuelels mode Radio linla cap,. !d ,!i s;, - I, process it and ICCervCu ills 11 Om: o the �\Ver forms of cwuelcss (Verifying that ; e c.Ji .s Ie�n moat, tw to Car! s1 m)': r : x vorrt car:)rrt.nr� on rs the personal con- untamed :nd �enc• . o.i - loa celi ,rlc. of spact must ,.p....: nttuticni�:r?s cc, IICS is similar to ;r urclude one ur :r:ur,: ::n!cn r.:a, a It I, Ion};in� I,,"let cellular phone toil operates at different lure to support th:rrn, ;ul n huildia;t I„ ,rf,:.ustomrrsinrrrasa - .. . . radio Ircouencics and requirs twice as house radio an:: cur.r.'uir:r r,luipinertt. !r,:r „f roll sites I lo'.. nuuty c,rn,:,iuni: :,ions fncililir..,- In pm,;- (::ell sites r;:n l,e ;h,: I.h",; ,r .;lies I\pie:dlc - - - ,. q•`rt �� [� `tr t� x a ' •� 's' '#y�` a��'.'�t`N.+h.. Lam• 't yi J ��� � ^�yT✓^ _ Y-,f � � 4 t 7t� yt i Y•'ayTFyaq.{yid< •s}.«����x�nr�',�'�}� -�P"�.�}y�t,�a„+rr .�f• e yv, --d '`f>s-ttcr7rg �< .q 4:r�'��-•m .ry 2 ,•c5 -rri:.<r '*,.-stC �,3.kr�;t" r0• "". u}-, y n &F lacatio s Can ymr lord the rw,rz��7_^�� �. � 1s-�}•`t"".';�'' ��. �y��y' i��4.�^ dcruC n r Ilus L«ddmg".Src __sz�_y.. �L q — �^t p`�>r• 12 till the urr.aurr RM DWI[ - �.:��� _•,��,_:1::?—_'� `�' I(. 71U1A.T!,1{ metropolitan areas may seek I.zrmissis: �. to build 15 to 50 facilities a year. The new PCS licensees and the n,: - paging providers are also seeking site_ r - and so are the growing numbes of con-.- panies offering data comniunica:ions a:-: - similar services. l-lowever mess.=.ging an: data delivery services typicaii`: can u much smaller sites and often share cmc-t - ing facilities with cellular or PCS urovia ers. at The winners of the C bloc auctions companies like Next Wave and �Alireless PCS are just now beginning to .sake a-. appearance. Like the PCS lice:-_e hold- - ers, they will need to build e-: entir- s network, with the number of sltes de- pending on the type of technoio-y use_ and the degree to which the`: can 'o_- r locate" with other providers \t less companies also use "stealtt 5' tec- n:ques chiding facilities on ro -ops r- elsewhere) to effectively co::- site. lcc-.:e on rooftops or conceal in other trum to allow at least t%,,o new service Local goveinmentscanpiobabi.. iselhe: •,a_:s. providers in every market.The service to experiences with PCSs, which :,'uicali-_' be offered was referred to as PCS or request permits for 50 to 100 facilities Going once personal communications services. The year, as a guide to determine hr:: mar. -:- Ba--k in 1981, the Federal COInInUI11Ca- auctions were completed in March 1995 facilities a C bloc carrier might ssek. lions Commission published a report on and raised over S7 billion. implications for economic development Yet another auction was held earlier In a hurry of lire then very new cellular telephone this year, this time to encourage at least A wireless company typically sends be :ethnology. After a series of hearings, one more nationwide provider. About tween 5250,000 and$700,000 to _et a ce:. the zorrinnission invited providers to ap- 510 billion was raised by auctioning off site up and running. Those A an.: B blc: %' for licenses to provide cellular sec- what is known as C bloc spectrum-Then, Providers that received their lic_.n.ses is 'rtes in 306 metropolitan service areas on August 26, the D and 6 bloc auctions the 1980s have actually built ;:'.eir sys '28 rural areas. were initiated. Thep are expected to be terns three times first to serve c.a ome.- So many companies applied that the completed by the end of this month. with three-watt car phones, the:: to a=- �. =CC decided simply to assign local tele- No one is certain hoer the successful commodate half-watt portables and - :>i':c.^.zconipanizsenough radiospeclrum bidders will make use of this additional Nally to convert analog cellular' s:ste;:a =_ ::.roc s pectnunl to offer CCHUlar tom. to more efficient digital technoic .':. - k radio frequency. Auction '.�Imtcrs kith g ....::!:cations in theirown areas'. A lottery licenses may simply enhance their cur- Now come the successful PC= anti C ...; set up to el!ow non telephone com- rent systems by providing ancillan' set- bloc bidders, and the soon-to- cictcr to compete for the remaining :\ vices, or then may offer dramatic new minecl v:inners of the D and spe:- . _c specvuln. liv the end of 1984, nzarlo communications services. In any case. it It All these companies ha-e a IT major metropolitan area in the U.S. is likely that the I) and G bloc offerim s and n doll s monetaryobllt;at ion to ti'.:ledcI _- ..:... .xat assigned Io a carrier. In 1959. will insult in a nett: for more ceil,;tar ,uvcIn ment and to Nmks. III .....tar lotteries were held for the t ill ill lower. ;tiff indu;lry compewinn is tor_-.n co:-:.- as a result r.I all this tr_u.ilv, !,`cal navies to lower ;tree!;:; - .. cJlt.lar fort: 't - CSeu!.'cied all es ,.oy,•rnrna t.• tayc r" ut el,t.- aclw,: n•: lo' each minute :u ll" : -lhair In— trtinm_ Urr,l::o slim;nrs nredi:rled ❑IrcuJr tnu'rt'ut -t,nl dh,ls �10;11,se: l<. `�'u rc'Cti nl rcvcn u,:. . . .. .:' th;lna luil'.inn soh<;:ih�a's by Zt!t I!t. inl; email,! their CmCl::..:,a ere;: 11 to -ault, wince:::; :,rrcir:: ..:id,.. .. !`1`4t ;i: Cell cl::r in,.htsl ry Itnd o:ill he in a hul'r•: b. ; r��:' nab . . . . . ::ul` `Irutzm :trl•::. hrr•: r. i:a ut•, ra. .r . ,! �, . .I .I: :nil.inn: ru: l,nn<•c: Int - - tr:� :\: .1 uu: •.v h.•It ?ui+ `•.'rail:; ::n.i tl:. y •.gill t::<:::I :. .. . . • 10 Plan..ing I)GCCnil", 1996 Given that situation, my advice to lo- can sect: from the permit applicanL cal governments is to gel a handle on the Regular communication with the car- key elements of the"releconununications viers serving a community is also essen- Act of 1996, which lays out the ground tial. At least once a year every locality rules for industry and local government should invite the telecommunications car- in the area of land-use law. riers serving the area to a regular meet- ing. Use this time to review the contents - tl hat is rcquircd of permit applications. Place special em- The law creates apresumpt ion that needed phasis on the type of information that is wireless facilities can be sited in a com- expected from the applicants. Identify enmity. Plat refusals to grant permit ap- the parts of the application that can be X plications are no longer allowed.The law left blank, which must be filled out, and also requires that requests for permis- under what conditions an application will 0 �* lion to build must be acted on promptly. be rejected as incomplete. Also, ask ser- + It forbids regulations from favoring one vice providers where they may want to sort of .wireless service provider over build facilities in the next year. another. And it prohibits local govern- Increasingly teleconununicationscom- w3 ments from regulating radio frequency panies are teaming up with local govern- emissions. A federal standard has been menls to sponsor regional wireless semi- selin this area and demonstrated compli- oars. These educational forums usually ! ante with that standard is all a locality last a full day and bring together local =----------------------- - What the Wireless Revolution Means t this moment, thousands of "site acquisition representatives,. x are standing of planning counters z everywhere in the U.S.,demand ing permits-now.In most com- munities, however, there is no plan for 'yr I accommodating the sites over the long haul. c Both city and county governments typi Ir' tally categorize personal wireless facili- ties as:.special or conditional uses Yet they often rely on outdated radio trims- r. ,I mission and satellite_dish zoning prove stuns to regulate them .i But some communities have instituted multiheied ieview procpd ues > I k; :. era someofthese procedure�s;residenttal�zones „r , rr r�geone approach commercial and Indus r '� teal'zones another, iiipnopoles iegt` t Tz ? review 1110 is 56t eet`and less are` h,: permitted adaiinistrativby t 7 * The advanage to a zbnuig ordi ante t lr, approach is that each cellr site isealt 1' , cr withconsisteutlyandunformlyTlieda- ifs : advantage is that the i-isd chop deal 1 .:. -wjfhicell sites„one at a,tt a As a. esu t, z'•;wireless carriers are asking for andXocal .. arc, , V governments are approWing vast sys�gms .� ', on asite by site basis V. S oinecitiesandcounhes knowing that g they are running out of good cell sites y, review applications.in bulk.,San Diego, for example,requires annual submissions Some com u,nilies lease public lurid—bicblding .vale,lauks—la of all cell sites from each carrier. Many ,-bcless carrir is. Local gomi..meals asiug 11101 approncl: have Co•,ll of jurisdictions also encourage Or require aver cell sites. but they also opera tbemselees up la polewi d l:,,suile. c0-location. San Francisco has a book of guidelines the best guidelines don't provide the cer- fact that some communities are ieain; for planning commissioners to use in tainty of a good plan. public land—water tanks,par}Jane,r.;hts reviewing cell site applications. But even The situation is complicated by the of-way—townclesscairiers. Leasin___ :bii< 1�0•1cllllucln officials, coo ullu cis. industry iepresentauxes, 0-:1C interested parties.The topics ilic!,,!C;c less communications: tile I\ties o. ties needed; the method llscci -0 sei; 1992 possible sites; how the Pcllllll- cess works; and health issues a:'C' P: 1 154,�;IWI--'�� erty values. AT&T Wit eless Se r ces ZIP held such gatherings in Boston,N YC 994 Baitilljorc, Washington D.C., rid 0 99S _j ci al otlic, im isdictiOns � Local governments Should al l reN ti,eil land-use levislatioll ill I,(! 1000 11 ��l coiucides N,,jtjj the pro%isions 0- A 71 '!__nts 200J0 25,000 30.000 CO nillunications act.other e! 5." should consi sh S _: u : s- in industrial and conun-_': a heating process for 1. ...... S,_Iecific, as opposed to curl v'z H -�mes 7 stindards: fixed Lillie I and solves two problems: Local govern- applications. A more stringent review has not required permits for the best locations for Would be required for properties not iden- struction 11, PeMISYIN'Zinia,ill->:�'e C' inents can choose ap- 0: appeals denied Bell Atlar_:_: tified in the master plan. A "D Step wireless facilities, and applicants call get .antag2 o sys:Ierns, claim that a 150-:&-: rose,, has S tile act% assuring and OUtOf tile pl2rujitt ing process quickly. p earl- sta�,,. Because it to%-.er wasan essential st�l companies have popped tip to mar public input at Fit ca aft be permitted 01 of right.ands and to direct the requires a map, it is also tk° only_ct these public I er- The courts are -1 beil%vell­_ ploach that ensures some degree 01 c b,i riers to "easy" city and county sites �-,-ad for plannels. It's clea_ The problem is that the wireless firms tainty. options, I •,ould say that is needed. So is a facULIF' Often insist oil all exclusive arrangement Given all the I P the wireless master plan is the tool of a review process.%vith the community, in effect tying u I access to public land—and exposing the choice. At this writing, on!\- a fev: cities Tjd Kreines, AICP and counties are exploring tile master community to potential legal challenges -1 to �:-cmes is president Of Krei'!-- object plan approach, so there is 110 model L f -0111:ou, California. The furn s=: Further, private landowners may objc carriers are boond to tire 0 10 the competition from a public body. follow. But wN eless planning. An alternative approach is to require the ad hoc approach of stung one cell all cell sites to be located on land owned facility at a line. I predict that they will or leased by the jurisdiction. Ringwood, soon request the certairiz•, that conies Terms of Art \e%v Jersey, is trvim that,although it has with a wireless master plan.I c also pointing tile Nvay. cullvdireepubliclyoNvned sites that qL1,11ify. The courts 11 The people C( 'rheic have been four important Court -file suburban Passaic County c0lum U_ wireless planning so far, and ri;es that apply for Pels011a- nity has also offered to lease land from cases Oil to be inam more. Earlier C:Iities: site acquisition mivate landowners seeking a cell site there are Sure , yels cell site buildeiS. IS. wireless this year, a federal colm upheld a six- lad: and then to sublease the site to it xv irel and others. Be aware that carrier. month nioratolikull Imposed by the clay cants seek approval of cell 5;. A wireless master plan is another wav of imediria, Washington SPlint Spectrum it or lease thern to he cal- 0' to go.The town of Windscu,Connecticut, had asked for a prefirninPIN injunction tc owners diev represent. : preparation of such a Ovemde the 11102-atOrRun, which Medina considering the plePa .. .: : .. . Companies hce:- 15 0 -e it:...netoplan for tied it needed to gi\ .: . plZu, for the area between Hartford and aig 11 r FCC to build personal Biadlev International Airport. Also, the cell sites But another federal court I of r3o�lsouth Mobil. and operate personal wilelc- Mid-Aincitca Regional Council. which lie'(' the contention 1 -there Zile also unlicellse�. cl: Ceorgia, had at Gwinnett Count\ flit counties and 11=1 111LI q\ that CuCO1lu)aSSCx* C19 Still I(ZIIISZs I)ut presented Sufficient C%:LiC:1C0 to n the Telccojllrnulllcaliors licip9lifics in two SwIcs around City, has Nn gun i N\o-plwsc loccss that port its denial of a pci ruit a C I]i tws f ra the p„0\I ll:ZILI 111 0 Mclm\%lul,:, "lli) J it cic����l Ivy ,1:1;ulklin Colin 1•larl. z1- SI �!Cllll Of Tiw lizi;IQ plal cipploach irvol\�s ;I Iasi is 1whicz 111"i 1, \%,h. 2% ".1 11 tW" inul;lil jlrl h C<, i I w, � 1± '1'I:m nine. I)teaui 6.:r 19'in location. Local governments like lions. Use your regular annu;il mcelin_ the idea because It reduces site with the cellular companies as tu,opp"r- �� proliferation, and industry lilies lunity to register potential hermit al?hli it because construction and op. cants. livery time a permit is sought, lh._ crating costs are reduced.There registered parties could be informed an:: ® are some drawbacks, however. invited to contact tile applicanitodiscus= For one thing,co-location cre- sharing the facility. _ ates larger sites. The more cam- A final suggestion: Loot: to the fill('; ,'.,^"„., ers sharing a facility, the bigger Ask industry representatives to share lhe..r <� )and potentially more intrusive) expectations of what's ahead in the v,a•.- m � it will be. Also, permit review of services, carriers, and concerns. M x time may increase dramatically, K " and the extra height of the facil- 11'illiam Covington is land-usa and enviro:. g mental policy counsel to AT&T Wireless c_ ity can push the application into „ices in Kirkland. Washington. I-le ,-:as i r" • - amo+'e SLingent reviewcategory. 1iied), director of right-oiv:a} nel WO: ing Finally, established cellular car- Ring Counq•, \Vashin,ton. ?i ""•",� ' '_ ricis may have reasonable con- ;„ I terns about revenue,operations, and liability when a new can ier „ is added to an exist- . ing site. p ®� t,R a For local govern m ments seeking to y aResourees „ •r+`=�rli " make co location an 3ah' attractive option for ' x vsareless providers, ' Readrng TXRMes B. Kremes publishes a 1 p + +fie'etnewslettercalled"WirelessUpdate=Con- '"' I have three sugges- Y-tT„�a"--t a r y br tac`'t the firm bybpli Chlorinated Water process in conformance with Goal 11. Representatives of DEQ staff have a draft permit available that will permit DEQ, municipalities, and LCDC are discussing situations where an entity located outside the UGB requires a sewer the activity subject to best management practices system extension outside of the UGB to mitigate a health or DEQ will provide the EWT with more specific infor- other environmental hazard. Currently, the two state mation concerning the discharge of super chlorinated agencies do not have a process for."early warning" of such water as it relates to a case with the City of Beaverton. conflicts. DEQ Director Langdon Marsh suggested the Land Use Issues creation of a "community solutions team" to facilitate and address such issues. Dick Benner, Department of Land Conservation and Development, addressed the group on Goal 11 (Public The EWT continues to meet monthly. If you have issues Facilities) and Goal 14 (Urbanization). In essence, you would like addressed by the EWT, contact the League sanitary sewers outside of the urban growth boundary representatives Roger Jordan or Ed Gormley, or League staff are not allowed unless it goes through the exceptions Joni T. Lowy. City Authority Over Siting of Cell Towers Has your city been approached about siting a new cellular cation process, and standard guidelines concerning safe:,., lower? If so, you're not alone. New towers are cropping up aesthetics, and criteria affecting abandonment. all over the state and many cities are being deluged with requests for siting. Growth in wireless service industry has The Act determined that the FCC hps sole authority for outpaced many local governments' ability to understand the determining the regulatory standards for environmental impacts of cellular towers and, therefore, to properly site and effects of radio frequency emission standards. Potential regulate them. As with other areas of the telecommunica- health risks associated with electromagnetic fields (EMFc. tions industry, the new federal Telecommunications Act of have been the second greatest source of community opcxi- 1996 includes provisions concerning the siting of towers for lion to the siting of cellular towers, because of both personal wireless services (including cellular phones) and the Federal safety and the perceived impact on property values. Since Communications Commission (FCC) is in the process of 1979, scientists have conducted more than 1,00-, studie_ or developing rules for acceptable emissions standards. EMF exposure. some have linked pro\:miry to prom-ior EMF sources to higher incidence of cancer amo..= In spite of intensive lobbying on the part of the cellular none, however, has managed to isolate the findings to z industry, the federal law preserves the authority of local single EMF source. Thus, no scientific study ha; estabGs-ed governments over zoning and land use decisions concerning a specific correlation between cancer and the nc-�-ionic:- the placement, construction, and modifications of the siting radiation generated by a cellular-communication. facili:: of towers for cellular and other wireless services. device, nor has any study disproven the connection. ":Nothing in this Act shall limit or affect the authority of a Therefore, in making decisions about cell tov.e. sitinc, State or local government . . . over decisions regarding the cities are not allowed to consider the cotential '.ealth e'=cis placement, construction, and modification of personal+wire- of stray voltage from transmission toy:e:s when conside::-, less service facilities"except that it "shall not unreasonably siting requests. An FCC rule regarding acceptabi-- stand_-'_ discriminate among providers or functionally equivalent for radio frequency transmissions, and determination o', services; and shall not prohibit or have the effect of prohibit- potential health affects, is expected shortly- in,the provision of personal wireless services." This non- discrimination rule also requires that the government "act on Finally, cities should keep in mind that their public p::- any request . . . within a reasonable period of time alter the perry and facilities (e.g., parks, water towers, cat;, com- request is duly filed. . . Any decision by a State or local munications towers, and even city haul may be r.as for _r government . . . to deny a request to place, construct, or siting of cellular towers (or for the smaller antennas for modify personal wireless service facilities shall be in writing personal communications services, PCs). Cities- rrray be -i+le and supported b to help control the impact of the towers, use the private written record."y(Telecommusubstantial evidence contained in a nications Act of 1996) lowers for public communications equipment, and ger. =:e rental revenue for the government. Therefore; federal law does allow cities to consider visual, aesthetic, or safety issues when making their decisions. n spite of this dear federal e isupport for local zoning a :. Decisions to deny a request for cell tower siting are appeal- controls, the Oregon Legislature is not f tower <i, from. able to the tour.;. Decisions which violate the provisions of unpostng restrictions on local control c tower s�bng, c- able federal law: M,ly be appealed to the FCC. reduce n;authority of cities to balance the needs or pm..'. providers to site towers with the loco preference: of d''. Cities are encc,!raged to adopi an ordinance for cellular neighborhoods. Cities will have to h,2 prepared defe tower sling th,-.; includes a dear, non-discriminatory appli- local zoning control against any limiu that are the i9971.egislatwe. Page 6 League of Oregon Cities h'ev.sletter,' �gus ") 3 Wireless Telecommunications Services: Did you know? According to an industry association, the number of cell Siting on Federal Property — siles nationally has increased from 346 in January 1985, to Federally-owned land is exempt from local zoning, and the nearly 25,000 in June 1996 (this includes cell towers, Telecommunications Act requires that federal property, antennae, roof or wall-mounted receiver dishes, etc.). Over rights-of-way and easements under their jurisdiction be avail- 38 million subscribers are using those 25,000 towers. The able for placement of towers and antennae. The federal law cumulative capital investment by the wireless industry now also orders the FCC to provide technical staff to state govern- totals more than $26.7 billion. In addition, the industry is merits to encourage tower siting on properties owned by hiring over 1,000 employees each month - including a state governments and agencies. A Dallas company that substantial number of city planners. Here's a refresher on builds "spec towers" for lease to cellular service providers your rights and responsibilities. already has a contract with the U.S. Post Office to site towers Local Control- on post office buildings and properties nationwide. By the end of the year, the FCC will have issued another Fact Sheet A city does have authority to deny a request to site a on the responsibility of the federal government to facilitate cellular site, but it must provide a reasonable explanation in the siting of towers on federal property. The number of writing. The FCC's bottom line, following the Telecom- towers sited on federal land is expected to continue to munications Act, is to encourage wireless telecommu- increase. nications providers to "build out their systems so that adequate service is provided to the public." Remember, Antenna vs. Tower — _ your city must take requests to zone towers "in order" with Personal communications services (PCS) systems often other zoning decisions, or it can be challenged as being require a great many small antennae, rather than several 50- discriminatory or of prohibiting tower siting(both illegal 200 foot monopoles or towers for cellular service. These under the Telecommunications Act). antennae can be as small as 18 inches and be placed much Decisions on Location and Siting - more discreetly on existing poles, wires, towers, etc. They may also offer compensation opportunities to the owners of The siting decisions of a cellular service provider ought to public property. For example: New York City has 3,000 be determined after each city (or regional area) has helped lampposts. They are receiving $3 million annually - from make "location" decisions. A request for siting from a pro- charges of S 100 per lamppost and 5300 per stoplight - for vider assumes that a city has already evaluated its land use the placement of PCS antennae. Remember, we're not N'e» and other plans to decide on appropriate locations for cell York City, but we may still provide the necessary links for sites, towers and antennae. Cellular service providers are these services. likely to come to the city with a specific property for their cell facility already selected. If the citgl has taken the steps to Co-location Requirements? evaluate its local situation, it has the opportunity to recom- Under the Telecommunications Act, a city does have mend other, comparable sites. Cities can refuse to have authority to prohibit single-entity towers and to require -co- towers sited in particular places - they cannot refuse to site location" of wireless services on a single pole or tower. The any towers. To date, we know of only one city in Oregon FCC coordinates authority for 3 -6 PCS (personal communi- hat has decided to delay siting any additional cell facilities cations services) providers and two cellular service providers until they have studied local needs and available locations. in a service area (either a defined metropolitan or rural area). This action has been upheld in federal court in the case of if considering a co-location policy, remember that the equip- - Medina, Washington. ment of each provider(dishes, antenna, etc.) must be Compensation for Towers on Public Land - approximately 20 feet from another provider on the pole. This means that a larger and/or taller tower may be required Payment for rental of public property for cell towers is for co-located services. Some citizens are objecting to taking many forms-some governments are receiving a cash multiple towers; others to the site of"antenna farms" (po!es payment for renting the property, while others are receiving with multiple dishes or antenna). Towers with multiple users equipment and/or services from the telecommunications may work best in remote or wooded areas of the city. provider as compensation. b%/hen considering how much rent should be charged for a cell tower or antenna site on Pre-approved Sites for Towers? t public property, consider the potential value of'in-kind"i Cell tower, are popping up all over the state, but if wir- services or equipment. Currently, the industry tends to give less providers are still looking for tower sites in your cite, three to four times what they would pay in cash if they can you might consider provide the compensation in-kind service. A city willing to developing a list of pre-approved site: - coordinate siting on public property may receive services for properties - public or private- that fiave the appropriate the police department, 9-1-1 system, fire department, public zoning and aesthetic properties to be suitable for a tower. works, or city hall. Being able to identify and inventory pre-approved sites car. speed up the process and reduce the potential disagreen-:=_nu and public concerns about siting. League of Oregon Cities Newsletter/November, 1996 Pa_e 3 j� ti m �m" n'^ n iF rY' §` ELU Ogg n£ g Amo y' n o .o e w °c E $d o Q y rs 3 •J S. 0 . dw m a3 wp w w < ..� PO n O Win? 0=00 QS�.' N< °' Rm •� om > > o^Q . Edo ul sn 5 •. 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