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ATTACHMENT A Planning & Development Planning City of Eugene' MEHORANDUM . w,, Eugene, Oregon. 97401:. (541) 682.-,5481 (541) 682...5572 FAx Date: December 13,200! To: '~ Mayor T°rrey and City.CoUncil · From: Jan Childs, Planning Division (682-5208)~ · Subject: STATUS REPORT ON CELL TOWER SITING IssUE~ This is in response to CoUncilor Rayorts request for a status report on cch tower siting issues. This memo provides a brief review of the City's response to the Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, an overview of thc 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 arisen dUring review of recent Site Review applications for telecommunications'facilities. City Resoonse to Federal Telecommunications Act of 1996 Following'enactment of .thc Federal Telecommunications Act Of 1996, the City Council established the CoUncil Committee 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 transmission towers and antennas within Eugene. Since the code did not specifically address telecommunications facilities, the City Attorney determioed that review and approval for these facilities could occur · thrOugh the "ambiguity clause" 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 applications 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 from the' moratorium. In November 1996, the CCT reviewed preliminary concepts forLand Use Code amendments and directed staff to proceed. The dr~ code language prepared by staff and the City Attorney was based on information gained from t~lecommunication 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 the moratorium. The Planning Commission held a public hearing on draft code amendments in Eugene City Council Agenda page21 IV-30