Morrisville Unified Development Ordinance

Article 11: Interpretation and Definitions Section 11.5. Terms and Uses Defined 11.4.3. Illuminated Signs

T ELECOMMUNICATION , C ONCEALED F REESTANDING T OWER A tower that is not readily identifiable as such, and is designed to be aesthetically compatible with existing and proposed building(s) and uses on a site. Concealed freestanding towers include faux trees, but they may also have a secondary function that could include a church steeple, windmill, bell tower, clock tower, light pole, flagpole, etc. (see graphics to the right).

T ELECOMMUNICATION , C ONCEALMENT T ECHNOLOGY A design or treatment that minimizes aesthetic and visual impacts on the land, property, buildings, and other facilities adjacent to, surrounding, and in general the same area as the requested location of such towers or support structures, which shall mean building the least visually and physically intrusive facility that is not technologically or economically impracticable under the facts and circumstances. Concealment technology includes such technology as Distributed Antenna System (DAS) or its functional equivalent or camouflage where the tower or support structure is disguised to make it less visually obtrusive and not recognizable to the average person as a tower or support structure.

T ELECOMMUNICATION , DAS (D ISTRIBUTED A NTENNA S YSTEM ) A network of smaller, spatially separated antennas connected to a telecommunications network. A DAS splits the transmitted signal among several smaller antennas to provide coverage and reliability over a smaller geographic area or within a structure. A DAS is the combination of a DAS Node and a DAS Wired Hub. A DAS can be comprised of the following: • A self-contained single installation which has a DAS antenna mounted to a medium elevation support structure such as a light pole or telephone pole and includes the DAS Wired Hub either mounted on the same pole or ground mounted in close proximity; or • A DAS Node that is connected by fiber optic cables to a remote located DAS Wired Hub.

T ELECOMMUNICATION , DAS N ODE A set of equipment including wireless antenna mounted on a support structure such as a utility distribution pole which is connected via fiber optic cable initially to an equipment cabinet on site and thereafter to a DAS Wired Hub at either the same location or a different location. DAS Nodes may or may not share common ownership with DAS Wired Hubs (see graphic to the right).

Morrisville, NC

October 1, 2021

Unified Development Ordinance

Page 11-80