A. Location and Visual Impact. The proposed communications tower, antenna or accessory structure will be placed in a reasonably available location which will minimize the visual impact on the surrounding area and allow the facility to function in accordance with minimum standards imposed by the applicable communications regulations and applicant’s technical design requirements. Conditions may be imposed, including camouflage, screening, vegetative buffers and/or site requirements, to ensure this criteria is met.

B. Inability to Locate on an Existing Structure. A permit should not be issued unless a proposed antenna and equipment cannot be accommodated and function as required by applicable regulations and applicant’s technical requirements without unreasonable modifications on any existing structure or communications tower.

C. Necessity for Location in a Residential Neighborhood. A permit should not be issued in a residential neighborhood unless the area cannot be adequately served by a facility placed in a nonresidential area for valid technical reasons. Conditions may be imposed to lessen the impact of a communications tower on a residential neighborhood, including limitations on times for maintenance work to be performed, number of vehicles present, yard maintenance, and similar requirements.

D. Design for Future Use. A new tower must be designed to accommodate additional antennas equal in number to the applicant’s present and reasonably foreseeable future requirements.

E. Collocation. A permit shall be conditioned to require the applicant to make the tower available for use by as many other licensed carriers as can be technically collocated thereon when the use will not result in substantial injury to the owner, or in substantial detriment to the service to the customers of the owners. All licensed carriers shall cooperate with each other in collocating additional facilities upon such towers. All licensed carriers shall exercise good faith in collocating with other licensed carriers and in the sharing of towers, including the sharing of technical information to evaluate the feasibility of collocation.

F. Illumination. A communications tower may not be illuminated unless otherwise required by state or federal law or regulations or unless evidence has been presented that lighting is necessary to ensure the safety of the public. To prevent direct light reflection on other property, tower structure lighting shall be shielded to the extent permitted by the Federal Aviation Administration.

G. Distance from Existing Tower. A permit for a proposed tower within 1,000 feet of an existing tower shall not be issued unless the applicant certifies that the existing tower does not meet the applicant’s structural specifications and the applicant’s technical design requirements, or that a collocation agreement could not be obtained.

H. Yard Area Requirements. Yards shall be a distance equal to at least 50 percent of the height of the tower from a lot line. The planning and zoning commission may modify this requirement if the tower and equipment will be adequately screened to mitigate its visual impact and no safety hazards are presented.

I. Height. The permitted height of a proposed tower shall be no higher than technically required to satisfy the specific purpose of the tower and will consider the impact on the surrounding uses.

J. Zoning District Standards. Nothing in this section alters the requirements for visibility, fencing, screening, landscaping, parking, access, lot size, exterior illumination, sign, storage, or other general zoning district regulations, except yard and height requirements, of any specific zone. Yard and height requirements in this section shall apply.

K. Design Drawings and Specifications. A permit shall be conditioned to require the applicant to submit design drawings and specifications stamped by a registered professional in the state of Alaska certifying compliance with the building code of the authority having jurisdiction.

L. Compliance with Other Laws. A proposed tower must comply with all local, state, and federal laws.

M. A report from a structural engineer registered in the state of Alaska showing that the tower will contain only equipment meeting FCC rules, the tower antenna capacity by type and number, and a certification that the tower is designed to withstand winds in accordance with ANSI/EIA/TIA 222 (latest revision) standards. [Ord. FY2022-14 § 2, 2022; Ord. FY2018-17 §2, 2018].