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HomeMy WebLinkAbout18490I ORDINANCE NO. m49o__ _6 2 3 AN ORDINANCE GRANTING SBA A WAIVER OF THE 4 REQUIREMENT TO COMPLY AT THIS TIME WITH 5 LANDSCAPE REQUIREMENTS FOR A WIRELESS 6 COMMUNICATION FACILITY LOCATED AT 708 KIRKROAD; 7 TO SET CERTAIN CONDITIONS FOR THIS SITE; DECLARING 8 AN EMERGENCY; AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES. 9 10 WHEREAS, the Board of Directors passed certain standards for landscaping and buffering of 11 wireless communication facilities ( "WCF ") in Little Rock, Ark., Ordinance No. 18,173 (December 20, 12 1999), as may be amended ( "LRO 18,173 ") which were to apply to all future applications for WCF 13 permits, and 14 WHEREAS, Section 2(c)(6) included a requirement that WCFs in existence on the date of LRO 15 18,173, but not in compliance with the provisions of the ordinance, were required to come into 16 compliance within a two (2) year period of time unless the Board granted a waiver or deferral of the 17 various provisions, and 18 WHEREAS, SBA, as purchaser of towers constructed by Telecorp, has applied for a waiver of 19 only the landscaping requirements on all four sides of the tower on which it desires to collocate its facilities 20 and which was in existence on December 20, 1999, and 21 WHEREAS, as set forth below the Board believes the request is appropriate under the current 22 circumstances. 23 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE BOARD OF DIRECTORS OF THE 24 CITY OF LITTLE ROCK, ARKANSAS: 25 Section 1. The following WCF permit is granted a waiver of the strict compliance with the 26 landscaping provisions of LRO 18,173 as follows: 27 (a) 708 Kirk Road (Z- 6147 -C). 28 29 Because of the remote location of this site and because the property 30 surrounding this site consists of vacant tree covered land zoned C -3 to the 31 south, 0-2 zoning to the north, east and west, and because the abutting 32 0-2 areas consist of the back of a post office building on the west side, 33 and the back side of a child care center to the north, and a tree covered 34 area and an auto repair garage on the east, and the fact that applicant will 35 install a screening fence on all four sides of the site, the following waiver 36 from strict compliance with LRO 18,173 under the current circumstances 37 is granted. 38 39 (1) Landscape requirements on all four sides of the site 40 are waived. 1 • 0 2 For these reasons, strict compliance with LRO 187,173 is 3 waived until such time as a major change in 4 circumstances makes it necessary to impose landscaping 5 requirements in order to meet the goals set forth in the 6 ordinance. 7 8 Section 2. Findings. 9 (A) The Board declares that the general landscaping and screening provisions of LRO 18,173 10 should be met whenever possible, particularly in residential areas, but that strict compliance for WCF 11 tower permits granted prior to the effective date LRO 18,173 is not always appropriate under existing 12 circumstances. For example, it may not be possible to purchase or lease additional property around the 13 existing WCF site to meet the landscape and buffer requirements. Or, while the applicant is willing to 14 fulfill the City's stated preference of tower collocation, it is unable to do so and meet landscaping 15 requirements because a particular WCF tower is located in an area that, regardless of its zoning 16 classification, is really commercial or industrial in nature, and not only would landscapingbe of minimal 17 value, it might in fact draw attention to the tower location and invite theft, vandalism, and be in 18 derogation of the goals and purposes of LRO 18,173. 19 (B) Under such circumstances, and others not set forth herein, it is appropriate to grant 20 waivers from the strict requirements of LRO 18,173, provided that if in the future a major change in 21 circumstances occurs, the City may modify the waivers granted to any subsection of this ordinance in 22 accordance with Subsection (C) below. 23 (C) For purposes of this ordinance, "a major change in circumstance" means that the area 24 within 200 feet of the boundaries of the WCF tower site has developed to the point that there is a virtually 25 unobstructed view of the tower from any adjoining residences located in an area zoned R -1, R -2, or R -3, 26 and 27 (1) (a) The City has received a complaint from the owner of 28 such a residence located within 200 feet of the tower site 29 that the site has no landscaping or screening in place; and 30 (b) The City has requested that the parties resolve the issue 31 by agreeing to certain screening or landscaping 32 requirements consistent with LRO 18,173, which can be 33 granted administratively by the Director of Planning and 34 Development, but no agreement has been reached. 35 Once a year, for any matters impacted by this provision, the Board will receive a report 36 from the Department of Planning and Development, to be made a part of the Board 37 records on file with the City Clerk, which identifies the tower sites that have previously [Page 2 of 31 I received waive*ut, pursuant to this provision or any sear applicable provisions, has 2 been the subject of modifications. In addition, these modifications shall be noted on the 3 City's geographic information system (GIS) map; OR 4 (2) The tower site permittee has leased sufficient additional space to 5 meet the landscaping setback, setback and screening requirements or 6 LRO 18,173, subject to any right of review set forth in that ordinance, as 7 may be amended. 8 (D) Pursuant to the provisions of subsection (C) above, before any modification of a waiver is 9 required, the City shall demonstrate that a major change in circumstances from the date of the original 10 permit grant, or from the date of any waiver or deferral, has occurred. 11 Section 3. Severability. In the event any section, subsection, subdivision, paragraph, item, 12 sentence, clause, phrase, or word of this ordinance is declared or adjudged to be invalid or 13 unconstitutional, such declaration or adjudication shall not affect the remaining portions of the ordinance 14 which shall remain in full force and effect as if the portion so declared or adjudged invalid or 15 unconstitutional was not originally a part of the ordinance. 16 Section 4. Repealer. All laws, ordinances, resolutions, or parts of the same, that are inconsistent 17 with the provisions of this ordinance are hereby repealed to the extent of such inconsistency. t8 Section 5. Emergency. The City appreciate the fact that the federal government has taken 19 steps to encourage the advancement of telecommunications technology, and understands that it is 20 incumbent upon the City to encourage additional carriers to enter into the telecommunications field 21 and to be able to have some certainty about the requirements and conditions for tower permits within 22 the City. Such development is essential to protect the public health, safety and welfare. An 23 emergency is, therefore, declared to exist, and this ordinance shall be in full force and effect from and 24 after the date of its passage. 25 PASSED: Jtme 5, 2001 26 27 ATTEST: APPROVED: 28 29 30 N cY Wo , City Clerk Jim iley, Mayor 31 32 APPROVED AS TO LEpG�A�L. FORM: 34 4� A-k ✓I 35 Thomas M. Carpenter, City Attorney [Page 3 of 3] Area Zoning Case #716147 -C N 708 IC RK ROAD Cr: 4206 7RS: T2NR14W36 0 300 800 Feet PD 19 voinityMap Ward: 5 Item# 40' FROM POLE TO PROPERTY LINE 40' FROM EQUIPMENT TO PROPERTY LINE TRgT2NR14W26 CT 42.06 PD 19 WARD 5 NEW B/ HIG W /'3 STRAI BARBED WII WCF WAIVER Z- 6147 -C 708 KIRK ROAD NORTH