Morrisville Unified Development Ordinance - February 2021

Article 2: Administration Section 2.5. Application-Specific Review Procedures 2.5.25. Wireless Telecommunication Facilities

(2) Telecommunication Tower Design and Construction

Towers shall be engineered and constructed as follows:

(A) All towers up to 120 feet in height shall accommodate no less than three antenna arrays. (B) All towers between 120 feet one-inch and 140 feet shall accommodate no less than four antenna arrays. (C) All towers between 140 feet one-inch and 199 feet shall be engineered and constructed to accommodate at least five antenna arrays.

(3) Height

The height of a tower approved for replacement or mitigation shall not exceed one- hundred percent of the height of the tower being replaced or mitigated. For example, an existing 170 foot tower could be rebuilt at 170 feet.

(4) Breakpoint Technology

New replacement towers or towers used for mitigation shall be designed using breakpoint technology. Certification by a registered Professional Engineer licensed by the State of North Carolina of the breakpoint d esign and the design’s fall radius must be provided together with the other information required herein from an applicant.

(5) Setbacks

A new tower approved for replacement or mitigation of an existing tower shall not be required to meet new setback standards so long as the new tower and its equipment compound are no closer to any property lines or dwelling units as the tower and equipment compound being replaced or mitigated.

(6) Landscape Buffers

At the time of replacement or mitigation, the tower equipment compound shall be brought into compliance with Section 4.2.5.D.4.e(15), Landscape Buffers.

(7) Visibility

Replacement or mitigated towers shall be configured and located in a manner that minimizes adverse impacts on the landscape and adjacent properties, with specific design considerations as to height, scale, color, texture, and architectural design of the buildings on the same and adjacent lots, and consideration of those same factors for the replacement or mitigated tower in comparison to the tower being replaced or mitigated, with the intent that the new replacement or mitigated tower having fewer adverse impacts on the landscape and adjacent properties than the tower being replaced or mitigated. Generators within an existing compound area shall be screened with an opaque row of evergreen landscaping planted outside the compound area to screen the generator from the view from nearby streets, sidewalks, greenways and residential areas. The evergreen landscaping shall screen both the height and width of the generator. Existing vegetation may be used to satisfy the generator screening requirement.

(8) Generators

(Ord. No. 2014-016, 06/24/2014; Ord. No. 2014-051, 11/10/2014)

Morrisville, NC

February 1, 2021

Unified Development Ordinance

Page 2-79