Item 3 - PH/Ord. on Cell Towers - Laserfiche WebLink

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ATTACHMENT A Planning & DeVelopment .... . : Planning City of Eugene* Eugene, Oregon, 97401. (541) 682-5481 (541) 682-5572 FAX Date: December 13,200! To: Mayor T°rrey and CRy.Council From: Jan Childs, Planning Division (682-5208)~ · Subject: STATUS REPORT ON CELL TOWER SITING ISSUES This is in response to Councilor Rayor~s request for a status report on cell tower siting issues. This memo provides a brief review oft he City's response to the Federal Telecommunications . Act of 1996, an overview of the City' S.existing regulations for telecommunications facilities, information on telecommunications facility siting immediately prior to and since the February 1997 adoption of the City's telecommunications facility regulations and a summary of issues that have ariseri during review of recent Site Review applications for' telecommunications 'facillties. ~' ...... '~, City Re~oP~se to Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 i... Following enactment of the. Federal Telecommunications Act Of 1996, the City Council established the Council CommiRee on TeleCOmmunications '(CCT). During the summer and fall of 1996, the CCT developed policies to establish a framework for how the City would address telecommUnications.issues. The CCT forwarded recommended policies to the City Council and,. in November 1996, the Council adopted the City of Eugene Telecommunications Policies. In July 1996, Planning and Development Department staffbegan receiving, a number of inquiries from telecommunications providers about the possible location of mmsmission towers and antennas within Eugene. Since the code did not specifically address telecommunications facilities, the City Attorney determined that review and approval for these facilities could occur · thrOugh the "ambiguity clanse" in Chapter 9. That clause allowed uses not recognized'in'the Code to be approved .through the standard conditional use process. Because of the number of apPlica~ons being received in advance of completion of the CCT work, City Council directed that a moratorium be placed on new applications. Applications received prior to adoption of the moratorium were exempted f~om the'moratorium. ~. In November 1996, the CCT reviewed preliminary concepts forLand Use Code amendments and directed staff to proceed. The draR. c0de langtutge prepared by staff and the City Attorney was based on information gained from telecommunication providers, the City's Telecommunications Facilities Siting Study, a.review of literature, evaluation of ordinances from other jurisdictions = and experience gained from processing the conditional use permit aPPlications submitted prior to ~r ~he moratorium. The P1 .~ning Commission held a public hearing on draft code amendments in Eugene City Council Agenda page21 IV-30