Lansdowne City Zoning Code

Communications antennas mounted on an existing public utility transmission tower, building or other structure shall be permitted by special exception in the CBD Central Business District, the BAM Baltimore Avenue Mixed Use District and the GB General Business District, provided that the applicant shall otherwise comply with this article and any building or structure which is proposed for mounting of a communications antenna shall otherwise comply with the bulk and setback requirements of the zoning district, subject to the applicable standards for communications antennas, communications towers and communications equipment buildings as special exceptions set forth in § 330-63 of this chapter and the standards for special exception set forth in § 330-81A of this chapter.

Communications towers and communications equipment buildings shall be permitted by special exception in the GB General Business District, subject to the applicable standards for communications antennas, communications towers and communications equipment buildings as special exceptions set forth in § 330-63 of this chapter and the standards for special exception set forth in § 330-81A of this chapter.

Communications antennas, if the communications antenna and any equipment accessory to the communications antenna is completely enclosed inside a steeple, dome, bell tower or other existing building feature, shall be permitted in any zoning district, subject to the applicable standards for communications antennas, communications towers and communications equipment buildings as special exceptions set forth in § 330-63 of this chapter and the standards for special exception set forth in § 330-81A of this chapter.

Communications antennas mounted on an existing building of greater than 50 feet in height above the building shall be permitted by special exception in the Transit Oriented Development Overlay District, provided that the applicant shall otherwise comply with this article and such building which is proposed for the mounting of a communications antenna shall otherwise comply with the bulk and setback requirements of the Transit Oriented Development Overlay District, subject to applicable standards for communications antennas, communications towers and communications equipment buildings as special exceptions set forth in § 330-63 of this chapter and the standards for special exception set forth in § 330-81A of this chapter.

Building-mounted communications antennas shall not be located on any single-family dwelling or two-unit multifamily dwelling.

Building-mounted communications antennas shall be permitted to exceed the height limitations of the applicable zoning district by no more than 15 feet. Omnidirectional or whip communications antennas shall not exceed 15 feet in height and seven inches in diameter.

Directional or panel communications antennas shall not exceed five feet in height and three feet in width.

Any applicant proposing communications antennas to be mounted on a building or other structure shall submit evidence from a Pennsylvania-registered professional engineer certifying that the proposed installation will not exceed the structural capacity of the building or other structure, considering wind and other loads associated with the antenna location.

Any applicant proposing communications antennas to be mounted on a building or other structure shall submit detailed construction and elevation drawings indicating how the antennas will be mounted on the structure for review by the Codes Department of Lansdowne Borough for compliance with the Borough of Lansdowne's Building Code and other applicable law.

Any applicant proposing communications antennas to be mounted on a building or other structure shall submit evidence of agreements and/or easements necessary to provide access to the building or structure on which the antennas are to be mounted so that installation and maintenance of the antennas and communications equipment building can be accomplished.

Communications antennas shall comply with all applicable standards established by the Federal Communications Commission governing human exposure to electromagnetic radiation.

Communications antennas shall not cause radio frequency interference with other communications facilities located in the Borough of Lansdowne.

A communications equipment building shall be subject to the setback requirements of the applicable zoning district for an accessory structure. A communications equipment building shall not exceed 15 feet in height.

The applicant shall demonstrate that it is licensed by the Federal Communications Commission to operate a communications tower, if applicable, and communications antennas.

The applicant shall demonstrate that the proposed communications tower and communications antennas proposed to be mounted thereon comply with all applicable standards established by the Federal Communications Commission governing human exposure to electromagnetic radiation.

Communications towers shall comply with all applicable Federal Aviation Administration and Commonwealth Bureau of Aviation regulations.

Any applicant proposing construction of a new communications tower shall demonstrate that a good faith effort has been made to obtain permission to mount the communications antennas on an existing building, structure or communications tower. A good faith effort shall require that all owners of potentially suitable buildings, structures or communications towers within a radius of 1/2 mile of the proposed communications tower site be contacted and that one or more of the following reasons for not selecting such structure apply:

A communications tower may be located on a lot occupied by other principal structures and may occupy a leased parcel within a lot meeting the minimum lot size requirements for the zoning district.

The applicant shall demonstrate that the proposed height of the communications tower is the minimum height necessary to perform its function.

The foundation and base of any communications tower shall be set back from a property line (not lease line) a distance equal to the height of the tower.

The base of a communications tower shall be landscaped so as to screen the foundation and base and the communications equipment building from abutting properties.

The applicant shall submit certification from a Pennsylvania-registered professional engineer that a proposed communications tower will be designed and constructed in accordance with the current Structural Standards for Steel Antenna Towers and Antenna Supporting Structures, published by the Electrical Industrial Association/Telecommunications Industry Association, and applicable requirements of the Borough of Lansdowne's building code.

The applicant shall submit a copy of its current Federal Communications Commission license; the name, address and emergency telephone number for the operator of the communications tower; and a certificate of insurance evidencing general liability coverage in the minimum amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence and property damage coverage in the minimum amount of $1,000,000 per occurrence covering the communications tower and communications antennas.

All guy wires associated with guyed communications towers shall be clearly marked so as to be visible at all times and shall be located within a fenced enclosure.

Notwithstanding any other regulations regarding fences in this Zoning Code, the site of a communications tower shall be secured by a stockade fence with a height of eight feet to limit accessibility by the general public.

No signs or lights shall be mounted on a communications tower, except as may be required by the Federal Communications Commission, Federal Aviation Administration or other governmental agency that has jurisdiction.

Communications towers shall be protected and maintained in accordance with the requirements of the Borough of Lansdowne's building code and property maintenance code.[1]

If a communications tower remains unused for a period of 12 consecutive months, the owner or operator shall dismantle and remove the communications tower within six months of the expiration of such twelve-month period. The owner or operator of any communications tower shall post a bond with the Borough for the costs of removing such communications tower prior to construction of the communications tower.

If a communications tower is to be located on a property that abuts any other property located within a residential district, the setback from the property line of such abutting residential district shall be 200% of the height of the communications tower, including the antenna.

A communications antenna and any equipment accessory to the communications antenna to be completely enclosed inside a steeple, dome, bell tower or other existing building feature shall be permitted only if: