Agenda - Parks and Recreation Commission - 10/09/2014

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System Protection - Strategy 5: Telecommunication towers will only be allowed in regional parks or reserves if there is no alternative site and if mitigation efforts are made to minimize the impact on Regional Parks System lands and users. The growth in cellular telephone, personal communication system (PCS) telephone business and implementation of the Metropolitan Emergency Radio System has resulted in requests that Regional Parks System land be leased for antennae towers or that towers be located near Regional Parks System lands. Each of these radio frequency communication systems relies on a grid placement of towers. Co- location of antennae on fewer towers is not always possible, however, because the size of a particular grid varies from one system to another. In addition, co- location of antennas on one tower may not be possible if it causes frequency interference between the antennas. Federal laws allow local governments to regulate the placement of towers as long as there is no ban preventing reasonable market access for that communication system. Antennae towers for telecommunication services and the Metropolitan Emergency Radio System are generally prohibited on lands within the Council- approved master plan boundaries of a Regional Parks System unit unless: • The communication system is not able to function without placement of the tower on Regional Parks System land. All other alternatives must be considered for placement within the grid in order to avoid placing any tower on Regional Parks System land. The communication service provider must demonstrate that this criterion is satisfied in requesting approval by the Council and regional park implementing agency to place a tower on Regional Parks System land. The only exception to this condition is that a tower for the Metropolitan Emergency Radio System may be placed on Regional Parks System land even if it could be placed on private land instead, upon meeting the following mitigation conditions: - If there is no feasible alternative to placing the tower on park land, the tower's impact on the Regional Parks System land must be minimized. - The tower must be screened from view of regional park /trail users as much as possible through tower placement and design features agreed to by the regional park implementing agency. - The tower must be located on land that has already undergone regional park or trail development and is accessible through the existing park road system. Land in park reserves or regional parks conserved for habitat restoration and interpretation must be avoided. • Co- location of antennas on one tower is preferred over constructing several towers if co- location has less visual and other environmental impacts on Regional Parks System land. The only exception to this condition is if co- location would result in frequency interference between antennas. • Payments for placing telecommunication towers in regional parks or park reserves should be dedicated to the regional park implementing agency that owns the land for acquisition, redevelopment, development, or operations and maintenance of its Regional Parks System units.