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Request for Council Action Continued <br />Page 2 of 3 <br />November 7, 1996 <br />Telecommunications Tower and Antenna Regulation <br />Use of City Water Towers as Antenna Sites <br />In considering locations and impacts of ntw antennas the use of the city’s water towers as <br />antenna sites would have the least new visual impact since the towers are already in exis:ence. <br />Alternatives <br />There are number of potential alternatives for the city’s regulation of telecommunications towers <br />and antennas. Four of these are as follows:• • <br />1. Prohibit all telecommunications towers and antennas from the city. <br />2. Prohibit all telecommunications towers and antennas except those allowed in the <br />industrial and B-1 zones. <br />3. <br />4. <br />Prohibit all telecommunications towers and antennas from all locations except on one or <br />both of the city’s water towers. <br />Prohibit all telecommunications tow'ers and antennas from all locations except as <br />currently allowed in the industrial and B-1 zones and on one or both of the city’s water <br />lowers. v'. <br />Discussion of Alternatives <br />It is not fully clear whether the city could legally prohibit all telecommunication towers and <br />antennas for personal communications service in Orono. <br />Although there are concerns regarding the appearance of antennas located on the city’s water <br />towers, there are significant financial benefits available to the city through the leasing of space <br />on the water towers. The minimum lease amount for a set of three antennas is $12,000 per <br />year. Each tower could accommodate at least three sets of antennas serving three different <br />vendors. <br />The purpose of the city’s current ordinances allowing towers and antennas in the B-1 and <br />industrial zones was to meet the needs of specific businesses operating in those zones versus to <br />meet the desires of telecommunications vendors. If the Council determines that the businesses <br />in the industrial and B-1 zones should continue to have the ability to install telecommunications <br />towers and antennas, the city should ensure it has the right to continue to define those tower and <br />antenna uses very narrowly so that it does not include towers and antennas for use by <br />telecommunications vendors.