Adams County Unincorporated
City Zoning Code

Provide a range of locations in a variety of zones;

Provide clear performance standards for addressing the siting of WCFs;

Encourage the location of WCFs on existing structures, including utility poles, signs, water towers, buildings and other WCFs where feasible;

Encourage co-location and site sharing of new and existing WCFs;

Facilitate the use of public property and structures for WCFs;

Streamline and expedite existing structure procedures in accordance with the intent of state and federal law;

Enhance the ability of providers of telecommunications services to provide such service quickly, effectively and efficiently;

Require adherence to state and federal environmental laws;

Ensure the air traffic safety of local aerial applicators, other aviation users, and the general public.

A line map to scale showing the subject property and all properties within one and one-half times the height of the proposed tower, and the location of all buildings, including accessory structures, on all properties;

Lines representing the sight line from surrounding viewpoints, i.e., point from which view is taken, and visible point, i.e., point being viewed from sight lines;

Sight line representation and photographs.

Attached WCFs. Attached WCFs shall not add more than twenty feet in height to the existing building or structure to which they are attached (attachment structure).

WCFs With Support Structure.

Attached WCFs. Antenna arrays for attached WCFs are exempt from the setback standards of this section and from the setbacks in any zone in which they are located. An attached array may exceed up to five feet horizontally beyond the edge of the attachment structure so long as the antenna array does not encroach upon an adjoining parcel.

Equipment Facilities. All equipment shall meet the setback development standards for the underlying zone in which they are located.

WCFs With Support Structures. Where permitted, WCFs with support structures shall be constructed and installed as far away from existing off-site buildings as is possible, and in no event nearer to any public road, alley, off-site primary or accessory structure, railroad track, or public park than a minimum distance of one hundred fifteen percent of the height of the tower.

WCFs shall be landscaped in such a way that the existing natural features and land forms are preserved to the extent possible; provided, however, that vegetation that causes interference with antennas or inhibits access to the equipment facility may be trimmed.

In residential zones a WCF shall be landscaped with an additional buffer to a maximum of ten feet in width unless the equipment facility can otherwise be obscured from view from the primary arterial serving the WCF, or the equipment facility can be adequately screened with existing vegetation.

Attached WCFs.

WCFs with support structures shall be designed so as to blend with the existing surroundings to the extent feasible, including the use of compatible colors. Exceptions to this section may be granted to those WCFs with support structures that pose a danger or a threat to general aviation facilities, aviation practices and/or flight patterns.

Equipment facilities shall use materials, colors and textures that will blend with the natural setting and built environment.

Security and safety lighting of equipment buildings if such lighting is appropriately downshielded to keep light within the boundaries of the site; and

Such lighting of the WCF as may be required by the Federal Aviation Administration or other applicable authority installed in such a manner to minimize impacts on adjacent residences.

WCFs with support structures must be constructed to the Electronic Industries Association/ Telecommunications Industries Association (EIA/ TIA) 222 Revision F Standard entitled “Structural Standards for Steel Antenna Towers and Antenna Supporting Structures” (or equivalent) as it may be updated or amended.

Applicants seeking permitted use of any WCFs shall provide proof of adequate financial insurance typical to the industry to cover potential losses, as well as additional, specific protection for the permitting jurisdiction by means of a legal instrument crafted to indemnify and hold harmless said jurisdiction in the event of tower failure or other catastrophic events associated with a WCF.

Approach Surface. Land lying beneath the approach surface that extends outward uniformly to a width of one thousand two hundred fifty feet at a horizontal distance of five thousand feet from the runway end.

Transitional Surface. The transitional surface begins at the runway end and on either side of the runway surface and slopes upward and outward at a seven to one slope meeting the horizontal surface at one hundred fifty feet above the elevation of the airport.

Horizontal Surface. The horizontal surface begins by swinging arcs of five thousand feet from the centerline end of the runway surface creating an elongated oval above the runway. The height of the horizontal surface is one hundred fifty feet above the elevation of the airport.

Conical Surface. The conical surface begins at the edge of the horizontal surface and extends upward and outward for a distance of four thousand feet at a slope of twenty to one with an initial elevation of one hundred fifty feet above the airport elevation.

Attached WCFs in the industrial, agricultural and commercial zones that meet the development standards are permitted outright by the local authority. Attached WCFs in the industrial, agricultural and commercial zones exceeding development standards shall be permitted through administrative review authority, except WCFs proposed to be located within one mile of a general aviation facility. Evidence of sufficient structural integrity to support the burden of additional attached WCFs, in the form of a letter signed and stamped by a licensed professional engineer, shall be provided as proof to the local authority.

Attached WCFs in the residential zones on nonresidential structures that meet the development standards are permitted through administrative review authority, except WCFs proposed to be located within one mile of a general aviation facility. Attached WCFs in the residential zones that meet the development standards on residential structures are permitted by a hearing examiner review through a conditional use permit (CUP). Attached WCFs in the residential zones on nonresidential structures that exceed the development standards shall be permitted by an administrative review authority, except WCFs proposed to be located within one mile of a general aviation facility. Attached WCFs that exceed the development standards on residential structures shall require a CUP. Evidence of sufficient structural integrity to support the burden of additional WCFs, in the form of a letter signed and stamped by a licensed professional engineer, shall be provided as proof to the local authority.

WCFs with support structures in the industrial, agricultural and commercial zones that meet development standards may be permitted by administrative review authority, except WCFs proposed to be located within one mile of an aviation facility. WCFs with support structures in the industrial, agricultural and commercial zones that exceed the development standards may be permitted by CUP.

WCFs with support structures in the residential zones that meet the development standards may be permitted by CUP. WCFs with support structures in the residential zones that exceed the development standards may be permitted by CUP.

Review of WCFs under this section will be conducted by the Adams County planning and building department upon application for a building permit for the WCF.

The Adams County planning and building department shall apply the development standards; provided, that applicable development standards may be reduced or waived by the administrator so long as the approval of the WCF meets the purpose and goals of this chapter in Section 17.74.030.

The Adams County building department shall render a decision on a complete building permit application within thirty days of receipt, except that the applicant may agree to an extension.

If administrative approval is denied, the applicant may appeal said denial in accordance with the provisions of this title concerning appeals of administrative decisions, Section 17.94.040(H).

Hearing Examiner. The body that shall review and approve WCFs pursuant to Chapter 17.94.

Application Contents. Each applicant requesting a conditional use permit subject to a hearing examiner review shall submit a scaled plan and scaled elevation view and other support drawings, calculations and documentation as identified in Section 17.74.050 showing the location and dimensions of the WCF and all improvements therewith, including information concerning support structure specifications, antenna locations, equipment facilities, landscaping, and fences, and, if relevant, topography, adjacent uses and existing vegetation. The hearing examiner may require additional information relevant to its consideration of whether the applicant meets the development standards.

Notice. Notice of the application and the public hearing by the hearing examiner shall be given in accordance with procedures under this title for notice of applications and hearings before the hearing examiner.

Hearing. The hearing examiner shall render a decision on the application under hearing examiner review after a public hearing is held in accordance with the procedures specified in this title or regulations adopted by the hearing examiner.

Review Criteria.

Findings. All decisions rendered by the hearing examiner under a hearing examiner review shall be supported by findings of fact and conclusions of law based upon substantial evidence in the record.

Timing of Decision. The hearing examiner shall render its decision within one hundred twenty days of application, unless the hearing examiner can demonstrate that more time is required and that the applicant has agreed to a time extension.

Appeals. The decision of the hearing examiner may be appealed to the appropriate court of appeals in accordance with state code procedures as described in the Land Use Petition Act (LUPA, Chapter 36.70C RCW) for appeals of such decisions.

Licensed carriers shall share personal telecommunication facilities and sites whenever possible, thereby reducing the number of stand-alone facilities.

All support structures shall be designed so as not to preclude co-location.

Applicants shall demonstrate a good faith effort to co-locate with other carriers. Such good faith effort includes demonstration by the applicant to:

In the event co-location is represented not to be feasible, the county may retain a technical expert in the field of radio frequency engineering to verify if co-location at the site is not feasible or is feasible given the design configuration most accommodating to co-location. The cost for such a technical expert will be at the expense of the applicant.

A land use permit may be denied for failure to demonstrate a good faith effort to co-locate on existing WCFs or to provide for co-location.