[Ord. 6/11/1975A; as added by Ord. 86-5, 1/14/1987; and as amended by Ord. 2000-3, 4/12/2000]
1.
Any application for a conditional use shall demonstrate that:
A.
The use will not endanger the public health and safety if located where proposed and will not deteriorate the environment or generate nuisance conditions.
B.
The use can be accommodated on the site with no variances required.
C.
The use is compatible with or will support the uses in the neighborhood of the site.
D.
The use does not require substantial earthmoving, revision of drainage patterns, or create excessive traffic congestion or substantial increase in stormwater flow.
E.
Off-street parking is provided as required by § 326 of this chapter and areas not covered by buildings or paved are landscaped and maintained.
F.
Access to parking lots are located as remote as possible from nearby street intersections and adequate sight distances are available at access points for motorists entering and leaving the property proposed for the use.
2.
Standards for Communications Towers as Conditional Uses.
A.
The applicant shall be required to demonstrate, using technological evidence, that the tower or antenna must be situated at the location and height where it is proposed in order to satisfy its function in the applicant's grid system or coverage diagrams. The technological evidence must be provided with the initial application. The Township reserves the right, at its option, to have such demonstration reviewed by an independent professional radio frequency engineer. All costs to be borne by the applicant as engineering review fees.
B.
Every effort shall be made to locate the tower below the ridge line of mountains and hills while still preserving the site's usefulness.
C.
The applicant shall demonstrate that it is licenses by the Federal Communications Commission to operate a communications tower, if applicable, and communications antennas.
D.
The applicant shall submit a copy of the lease or other documentation evidencing that the owner of the property approves the siting of the tower, antenna, and other supporting equipment and the access provided to the site. All financial details of the lease may be omitted.
E.
The communications tower site shall be fully automated and unattended on a daily basis, unless emergency conditions prevail. Two reserved off-street paved parking spaces shall be required upon a communications tower site.
F.
The applicant shall demonstrate that the proposed communications tower and communications antennas proposed to be mounted thereon comply with all applicable standards established by the Federal Communications Commission governing human exposure to electromagnetic radiation.
G.
Communications towers shall comply with all applicable Federal Aviation Administration, Commonwealth Bureau of Aviation and applicable airport zoning regulations.
H.
Any applicant proposing construction of a new communications tower shall demonstrate that a good faith effort has been made to obtain permission to mount the communications antennas on an existing building, structure, or communications tower. A good-faith effort shall require that all owners of potentially suitable structures within a 1/2 mile radius of the proposed communications tower site be contacted and that one or more of the following reasons for not selecting such structure apply:
(1)
The proposed antennas and related equipment would exceed the structural capacity of the existing structure and its reinforcement cannot be accomplished at a reasonable cost.
(2)
The proposed antennas and related equipment would cause radio frequency interference with other existing equipment for that existing structure and the interference cannot be prevented at a reasonable cost.
(3)
Such existing structures do not have adequate location, space, access or height to accommodate the proposed equipment or to allow it to perform its intended function.
(4)
Addition of the proposed antennas and related equipment would result in electromagnetic radiation from such structure exceeding applicable standards established by the Federal Communications Commission governing human exposure to electromagnetic radiation.
(5)
A commercially reasonable agreement could not be reached with the owners of such structures.
I.
Access shall be provided to the communications tower site by means of a public street or easement to a public street. The easement shall be a minimum of 20 feet in width and shall be paved to a width of at least 10 feet for its entire length.
J.
A communications tower site may be located on a lot occupied by other principal structures and may occupy a leased parcel within a lot meeting the minimum lot size requirements for the zoning district.
K.
Site plans for all communications towers sites shall be submitted as a land development and shall comply with the Kingston Township Subdivision and Land Development Ordinance and will include a complete landscape plan prepared by a Pennsylvania registered landscape architect.
L.
Recording of a plat of subdivision or land development shall be required for any parcel on which a communications tower site is proposed to be constructed.
M.
The applicant shall demonstrate that the proposed height of the communications tower is the minimum height necessary to perform its function.
N.
In all zoning districts, the maximum height of any communications tower shall be 100 feet; provided, however, that if the tower is replacing an existing communication tower structure such height may be increased to no more than the height of the existing tower structure or 150 feet, whichever is less, provided the required setbacks from adjoining property lines (not lease lines) are increased by one foot for each one foot of height in excess of the existing tower structure or 100 feet whichever is less.
O.
The tower shall be set back from adjacent property lines and existing buildings a distance equal to the maximum collapsible fall zone for the proposed tower as certified by a Pennsylvania registered engineer responsible for designing the proposed tower, plus 25 feet. At no time will the setback be less than the existing setback requirement or 50 feet whichever is greater.
P.
The base of a communication tower shall be landscaped so as to screen the fenced foundation, base and communications equipment building from abutting properties.
Q.
The communications equipment building shall comply with the required yards and height requirements of the applicable zoning district for an accessory structure.
R.
The applicant shall submit certification from a Pennsylvania registered professional engineer that a proposed communications tower will be designed and constructed in accordance with the current Structural Standards for Steel Antenna Towers and Antenna Supporting Structures, published by the Electrical Industrial Association/Telecommunications Industry Association, and applicable requirements of the Township's Building Code.
S.
The applicant shall submit certification that the tower and its method of installation has been designed by a Pennsylvania registered engineer and is certified by that registered engineer to be structurally sound and able to withstand wind and other loads projected for the proposed site in accordance with the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) as amended, and other federal, state and local building regulations and accepted industry standards.
T.
The applicant shall submit on an annual basis a copy of its current Federal Communications Commission license; the name, address and emergency telephone number for the operator of the communication tower; and a certificate of insurance evidencing general liability coverage in the minimum amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence and property damage coverage in the minimum amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence covering the communications tower, communications antennas, and all elements of the communications tower site.
U.
All guy wires associated with guyed communications towers shall be clearly marked so as to be visible at all times and shall be located within the fenced enclosure.
V.
The communications tower site including guy wires and equipment buildings shall be secured by a security fence with a minimum height of eight feet to limit accessibility by the general public, as described in § 348.
W.
The following buffer plantings shall be located around the perimeter of the communication tower site:
(1)
An evergreen screen shall be planted that consists of either a hedge, planted three feet on center maximum, or a row of evergreen trees planted 10 feet on center maximum. The hedge shall be sized to reach a height of 48 inches and evergreen trees shall be sized to reach a height of 96 inches within 36 months of installation.
(2)
Existing vegetation (trees and shrubs) shall be preserved to the maximum extent possible.
(3)
All planting and planting areas shall be actively maintained throughout the life of the facility.
(4)
A landscape plan prepared by a Pennsylvania registered landscape architect shall be submitted as part of the land development and or subdivision plan. This plan will become part of the final approved subdivision and or land development plans and will be recorded with the approved plans. This plan shall delineate planting areas, plant types, and sizes at installation, fencing type construction and finishes, as well as paved and lawn areas. The buffer planting will be maintained per the approved design as delineated in the recorded plans.
(5)
No signs or lights shall be mounted on a communications tower, except as may be required by the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Aviation Administration or other governmental agency which has jurisdiction, or related solely to the use of the communication tower.
(6)
All lighting shall be shielded and reflected away from adjoining properties, except as required by the Federal Aviation Administration or other regulatory agencies.
(7)
Communication towers shall be painted or camouflaged in such a way to minimize the visual impact on the surrounding landscape and to blend into the surrounding landscape.
(8)
Communication towers shall be protected and maintained in accordance with the requirements of the Township's Property Maintenance Code.
X.
If a communication tower remains unused for a period of 12 consecutive months, the owner or operator shall dismantle and remove the communications tower within six months of the expiration of such twelve-month period. Failing to do so, the Township may cause the same to be removed and charge the cost of the removal to the foregoing parties. In addition, the Township may file a municipal lien against the land to recover the cost of removal and attorney's fees. If the owner or operator plans to discontinue use of the facility, a copy of intent to cease operations must be submitted to Kingston Township.
Y.
In order to reduce the number of antenna support structures needed in a community in the future any proposed new support structure shall be designed to accommodate at least one other user(s), including other communications company(ies) and local fire, police, ambulance and emergency provider(s).