12.11.070 Visibility and dimensional standards

12.11.070 Visibility and dimensional standards.

All WCFs should meet these visibility and dimensional thresholds, unless the applicant can provide supporting documentation that demonstrates that it is not technically or physically feasible. Proposed WCFs that exceed these dimensional standards must be designed to have the minimum impact feasible, as certified by the provider’s licensed engineer, and as approved by the director.

1. Antennas. Antennas shall be mounted on existing or replacement utility poles. Only one WCF shall be permitted on any utility pole. Antennas shall be either fully concealed within a canister or flush-mounted to the utility pole (flush-mounted shall be the minimum amount of space technically necessary, but no more than 12 inches from the pole). Antennas not flush-mounted on the side of the utility pole shall be centered on the top of the utility pole to which they are mounted and camouflaged or disguised. The antennas shall be colored or painted to match the pole. Except with regard to height and volumetric requirements, utility pole-mounted WCFs must comply with the same design standards applicable to SWFs, as described in BMC 12.11.260, unless doing so would be technically or physically infeasible.

2. Height Increase. An additional 15 feet is allowed, either for an existing or replacement utility pole with flush-mounted antennas or a pole-top mounted canister. Any pole-top mount shall not be greater in diameter than the existing utility pole, or 16 inches, whichever is greater, and shall be designed to blend into the colors and textures of the existing utility pole.

3. Equipment Enclosures. All equipment enclosures shall comply with the applicable requirements of subsection G of this section.

4. Replacement Pole. An existing utility pole may be removed and replaced so long as the replacement pole is of similar color and material as the existing and adjacent pole(s) (unless the pole owner decides to use a hollow pole and then it shall match as closely as possible to the color and material of the existing pole) and is located as near as possible to the existing pole. The replaced utility pole must be used by the owner of the utility pole to support its utility lines. A replacement utility pole shall be designed such that coaxial cables and feed lines can be located within the pole or in a covered raceway or conduit of similar color and material as the pole. If the replacement utility pole has a light standard then a photometric analysis shall be provided with the application. Such application shall only be approved if the replaced pole can maintain the appropriate lighting in the right-of-way.

5. Design Districts. New WCFs are prohibited within the rights-of-way of a design district unless denial of the siting could be a prohibition or effective prohibition of the applicant’s ability to provide telecommunications service in violation of 47 USC §§ 253 and 332.

6. Pedestrian Impact. The proposed WCF collocation shall not result in a significant change in the pedestrian environment or preclude the city from making pedestrian improvements. If a utility pole is being replaced, consideration shall be given to improving the pedestrian environment.

7. Prohibited Poles. WCFs are prohibited on nonwooden light poles, decorative poles, or traffic poles located within the right-of-way.

1. Antennas. Roof-mounted antennas shall not exceed 15 feet above the highest portion of the building, including the mount.

a. Roof-mounted antennas shall be placed to the center of the roof where possible, and shall either be completely concealed or be fully camouflaged into the building design. This may include the construction of false equipment penthouses on the roofs of buildings or some other concealment type structure, the design of which is approved by the director. When a roof mount installation is performed, the antennas, mounting brackets and any concealment structures shall be exempt from the height limit of the underlying zone to the extent that the total height of such facilities does not increase the overall building height by more than 20 feet. A WCF may not be attached on top of any false equipment penthouses.

b. Side-mounted antennas shall be mounted flush (no more than 12 inches from the surface) on the exterior walls of the building, shall not extend above the building parapet or other roof-mounted structure, and shall either be completely concealed or fully camouflaged into the building design.

c. Whip antennas shall be a neutral color to blend with the surroundings or the building, or be fully concealed, at the discretion of the director. In determining whether to require concealment of whip antennas, the director shall consider whether the site line diagrams, site plans, and photosimulations submitted by the applicant demonstrate that the whip antennas will not be visible from the public right-of-way adjacent to the subject property.

2. Equipment Enclosures and Ground-Mounted Equipment. All equipment enclosures and ground-mounted equipment shall comply with the applicable requirements of subsection G of this section.

1. Antennas. Panel and omni-directional antennas shall be no greater in height than 10 feet. The antenna array and mount, if any, shall extend no further than 20 feet measured horizontally from the centerline of the pole. Antennas shall be painted a natural, nonreflective color matching the monopole that blends into the natural and built surroundings where it is located.

2. Support Structure. Monopoles shall be located in such a manner that a portion of the tower is screened by existing buildings or trees. Also, the pole shall be painted a natural, nonreflective color to blend into the surroundings. The height of the monopole and the associated antennas shall be no greater than 110 feet. All new monopole towers shall be screened through the planting of at least five evergreen trees of a minimum height of 20 feet tall and of a species approved by the director. Said trees shall be spaced around the pole in such a manner that the maximum screening effect is achieved. Said trees shall be planted within 30 feet of the monopole and maintained in a healthy condition at all times. Existing trees within 30 feet of the monopole may be used to fulfill this screening requirement. In the event that any such tree shall become diseased or suffer other mortality, it shall be replaced with a tree meeting the requirements of this subsection.

3. Equipment Enclosures and Ground-Mounted Equipment. All equipment enclosures and ground-mounted equipment shall comply with the applicable requirements of subsection G of this section.

4. Setbacks. Monopole support structures and equipment enclosures shall be constructed with a setback equal to the height of the tower, or the lowest engineered break point, if the tower is designed with break point engineering, from any exclusively residentially zoned property, including the SSHO and MHP overlay zones.

1. Antennas. Panel and omni-directional antennas shall be painted a color matching the tower so as to blend into the existing tower.

2. Equipment Enclosures. If the WCF is attached to an electrical transmission tower, the equipment enclosure can be located directly under the tower or located consistent with subsection (G)(2) of this section.

1. Antennas. Panel and omni-directional antennas shall be no greater in height than 10 feet. However, panel, whip, microwave dish, and omni-directional antennas which are for emergency services, emergency notification services or emergency support services may extend more than 10 feet above an existing lattice or monopole tower as approved by the director. On monopole towers, the antenna array and mount, if any, shall extend no further from the centerline of an existing monopole than 20 feet measured horizontally. On lattice towers, the antennas shall extend no further than 20 feet, measured horizontally, from the portion of the lattice tower to which the antennas are mounted. Existing monopole and lattice towers, and any additional equipment collocated thereon, shall be painted a natural, nonreflective color that blends into the natural and built surroundings where it is located.

2. Support Structure. All monopole and lattice towers upon which collocation is permitted shall be screened through the planting of at least five evergreen trees of a minimum height of 20 feet tall and of a species approved by the director. Existing trees of equal or greater height within 30 feet of the monopole may be used to fulfill this requirement. Said trees shall be spaced around the pole in such a manner that the maximum screening effect is achieved. Said trees shall be planted within 30 feet of the monopole and maintained in a healthy condition at all times. In the event that any such tree shall become diseased or suffer other mortality, it shall be replaced with a tree meeting the requirements of this subsection.

3. Equipment Enclosures. All equipment enclosures shall comply with the applicable requirements of subsection G of this section.

4. Setbacks. New equipment enclosures associated with new WCFs collocated upon existing monopoles or lattice towers shall be placed no closer to existing residential uses than any existing equipment enclosure on the subject property, or as approved by the director.

F. Existing Monopole and Lattice Towers. Any existing monopole or lattice tower may be replaced on the same parcel with a lattice tower of the same or smaller dimensions or a new monopole. The new monopole tower must comply with subsection C of this section. However, the height of the new monopole may be the same as the tower being replaced or the height prescribed in subsection (C)(2) of this section, whichever is higher.

a. If feasible, equipment enclosures shall be located within existing buildings (excluding single-family residential) or located underground. All underground equipment enclosures shall have the top of the vault flush with the surrounding grade.

b. If it is infeasible due to either technical, physical, or landlord requirements to place equipment enclosures inside an existing building or underground, then the equipment enclosure may be placed on the roof of an existing building, provided the use of the building is not single-family residential and the equipment enclosure is not visible from the street. Equipment enclosures located on the roof of a building shall be placed to the center of the roof where feasible and shall either be completely concealed or fully camouflaged into the building with architecturally compatible design.

c. If some other placement is proposed, the applicant shall demonstrate to the satisfaction of the city that it is not technically or physically feasible to locate the equipment underground, within the building, or on a roof. All equipment and cabinets that will be visible to the traveling public, workers, or residents shall be as small and unobtrusive as is practicable and designed to blend in with existing surroundings. The applicant shall size any equipment enclosure and other facilities to minimize visual clutter.

d. If a ground-mounted equipment enclosure is permitted, the equipment enclosure must comply with subsection (G)(2)(c) of this section.

2. Equipment Enclosures for Pole-Mounted WCF. These requirements apply both for monopoles and for utility poles.

a. In exclusively residential zones, including SSHO and MHP overlay zones, ground-mounted equipment shall be located as close as possible to the intersection of the public right-of-way boundary and the side property line of the abutting property, but in no case shall any portion of said equipment be located more than six feet from either side of said intersection.

b. Equipment enclosures for WCFs must be located as follows:

(1) No new ground-mounted or underground equipment enclosures are permitted in the right-of-way;

(2) Underground or on adjacent property outside of the right-of-way; provided, that any ground-mounted equipment enclosure is fenced and landscaped. All underground equipment enclosures shall have the top of the vault flush with the surrounding grade. Underground equipment enclosures shall not be greater than 480 square feet in area and shall have the smallest access door feasible;

(3) Inside a building located outside of the right-of-way; or

(4) Located outside of the right-of-way so as not to be open or visible to public view (e.g., in a forested area surrounded by vegetation so that the equipment enclosure is not open to public view and also fenced for security purposes) and in compliance with subsection (G)(2)(c) of this section.

(5) Equipment enclosures mounted on a utility pole are not permitted.

c. Ground-mounted equipment enclosures shall be the minimum size technically necessary and not greater than 480 square feet in area. Ground-mounted equipment enclosures shall be painted a natural, nonreflective color so as to blend in with the surroundings. Any new building or structure constructed for housing equipment, other than self-contained equipment cabinets, shall be designed and constructed to be architecturally compatible with buildings in the immediate vicinity and to blend into the surroundings. The exterior of all such buildings or structures shall be finished with masonry or siding and shall have a peaked roof. Buildings or structures with nonmasonry exterior finishing shall be painted a natural, nonreflective color. Pre-fabricated concrete and metal structures shall not be permitted unless treated with a facade meeting the requirements of this subsection.

3. Screening and Noise Standards. If a WCF is proposed in a residential zone or within 100 feet of a residential use, then the applicant must demonstrate that the proposed WCF will generate no increased sound levels as documented by an acoustical consultant, as measured at the property line of the subject property at any time of day or night. If the WCF will generate increased sound levels, then the equipment generating such noise shall be surrounded with a noise abatement material such as solid masonry or concrete wall on all four sides, comprised of at least four inches of solid masonry or concrete components. Said wall shall be located within five feet of any noise source associated with the equipment enclosure and shall have a height that is at least three feet above the highest point of the noise source. Gates or doors providing access to areas within said wall shall be constructed of a solid material and shall not be located on the wall immediately adjacent to the noise source. Any such noise source shall be oriented to minimize impacts on neighboring residential properties.

4. Landscaping. Ground-mounted equipment enclosures that are not required to be surrounded by a masonry or concrete wall shall be surrounded with a six-foot-tall wood fence and a five-foot-wide landscape bed (located in front of the fence) containing Type III landscape materials, as specified in BMC 12.18.040. Otherwise, ground-mounted equipment enclosures shall be surrounded by a 10-foot-wide landscape bed (located in front of the masonry or concrete wall of such structure) containing Type II landscape materials, as specified in BMC 12.18.040. The requirements of this subsection may be varied by the director on a case-by-case basis when doing so would result in a greater degree of concealment of an equipment enclosure. Chapter 12.18 BMC notwithstanding, the landscaping provisions of this subsection shall not be fulfilled through use of berms or fencing. (Ord. 2295 § 14, 2019; Ord. 2110 § 2 (Exh. B), 2013; Ord. 1885 § 1, 2002; Ord. 1733 § 7, 1998).