Rumson City Zoning Code
§ 22-7.34
Wireless Telecommunications Towers, Antennas, and Transmission Facilities.
[Ord. 12/18/97, § III; Ord. 2/17/00, § I]
a.
Purpose. The purpose of these regulations for the siting of wireless telecommunications towers and antennas is to:
1.
Protect residential areas and land uses from potential adverse impacts of towers and antennas;
2.
Encourage the location of towers in appropriate locations;
3.
Minimize the total number of towers throughout the community;
4.
Strongly encourage the joint use of tower sites as a primary option rather than construction of additional single-use towers;
5.
Encourage users of towers and antennas to locate them, to the extent possible, in areas where the adverse impact on the community is minimal;
6.
Encourage users of towers and antennas to configure them in a way that minimizes the adverse visual impact of the towers and antennas through careful design, siting, landscape screening, and innovative camouflaging techniques;
7.
Enhance the ability of the providers of telecommunications services to provide such services to the community quickly, effectively, and efficiently;
8.
Consider the public health and safety of communication towers; and
9.
Avoid potential damage to adjacent properties from tower failure through engineering and careful siting of tower structures.
In furtherance of these goals, the Borough of Rumson shall give due consideration to the Borough master plan, zoning map, existing land uses, and environmentally sensitive areas in approving sites for the location of towers and antennas.
b.
Nonapplicability to Amateur Radio Stations and to Receive-Only Antennas. The provisions of this section shall not govern any antenna that is owned and operated by a Federally-licensed amateur radio station operator or is used exclusively as a receive-only antenna and which is regulated by subsection 22-7.21, Noncommercial Radio and Television Antennas.
c.
Antennas and Towers Permitted on Borough Property. Wireless telecommunications towers and antennas and their related support structures and buildings, which are approved by the Borough Council and located on property owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by the Borough of Rumson, shall be deemed a municipal facility and shall be a permitted use in the POS Public Facilities and Open Space Zone District. Such wireless telecommunications towers shall be subject to the following height and setback standards and requirements:
1.
Maximum Tower Height — One hundred fifty (150') feet.
2.
Permitted Projections — The following features may project above the maximum permitted height of the tower:
(a)
Lightning rods.
(b)
Antennas owned and operated by the Borough of Rumson and its emergency agencies.
(c)
Design elements that are intended to conceal or camouflage the presence of the tower or antennas.
3.
Minimum Setback Requirements:
(a)
Minimum setback to center line of the tower — Ninety (90') feet.
(b)
Minimum setback to tower projections and wireless telecommunications buildings, structures, or equipment — Seventy-five (75') feet.
4.
Co-location Requirement — The tower and related facilities shall be designed to accommodate at least three wireless communications providers.
d.
Antennas and Towers which are not Municipal Facilities. Wireless telecommunications antennas and towers may be allowed as a conditional use on property which is not owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by the Borough of Rumson, in accordance with the standards, regulations, and requirements set forth in subsection 22-6.11, Wireless Telecommunications Towers, Antennas, and Transmission Facilities on Non-Municipal Property, in those zones where public utilities are permitted as a principal use or as a conditional use.
