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Approved February 20, 2001 • AN ORDINANCE TO AMEND AND RE -ORDAIN CHAPTER 34 OF THE CODE OF THE CITY OF CHARLOTTESVILLE, 1990, AS AMENDED, BY ADDING THERETO A NEW ARTICLE XVIII -B (COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIEWTOWERS). WHEREAS, the Council of the City of Charlottesville, Virginia finds and determines that: It is in the best interests of the public health, safety and welfare that the City should regulate the placement, screening, height, screening, and other health and safety requirements of communications facilities located within the City; The federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 preserves the zoning authority of the City of Charlottesville to regulate the placement, construction and modification of such facilities; NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Council of the City of Charlottesville THAT Chapter 34 of the Code of the City of Charlottesville, 1990, as amended, is hereby amended and re -ordained by adding Sections 34-682 through 34-695 under a new article entitled "Communications Facilities/Towers", to read as follows: ARTICLE XVIII -B. COMMUNICATIONS FACILITIES/TOWERS Sec. 34-682. Purpose and intent. (a) Purpose and Intent. The purpose and intent of this article is to establish guidelines for the siting of communications towers and personal wireless service facilities. The goals of this article are to: • (1) Allow for a range of locations for communications towers and personal wireless service facilities, subject to clear buffering and safety standards. (2) Encourage the joint use of new and existing support structures, and minimize the total number of communications towers and personal wireless service facilities throughout the community. (3) Encourage users of communications towers and personal wireless service facilities to locate them, to the extent possible, in areas where the adverse impact on the community is minimal. (4) Minimize adverse visual impacts of towers and antenna through careful design, siting, landscaping screening and innovative camouflaging techniques. (5) Encourage users of communications towers and personal wireless service facilities to configure them in a way that minimizes adverse visual impact; (6) Promote compatibility of communications towers and personal wireless service facilities with surrounding land uses, and protect the attractiveness, health, safety, general welfare and property values of the community. (7) Avoid potential damage to adjacent properties from tower failure through responsible engineering practices and careful siting of tower structures. (8) Minimize traffic impacts on surrounding residential areas (9) Maximize and encourage use of alternative tower structures as a primary option rather than . construction of additional single -use towers. Page 1 of 13