General requirements

A. All antennas shall comply with applicable Federal Communication Commission and Federal Aviation Administration regulations. In accordance with the federal Wireless Communications Act, the Town shall not regulate the placement, construction, and modification of cellular communications antenna arrays on the basis of the environmental effects of radio frequency emissions to the extent that such facilities comply with the Federal Communication Commission's regulations concerning such emissions.
Editor's Note: See 47 U.S.C. § 609 et seq.
B. A cellular communications tower shall be set back from all property lines a minimum of one foot for each two feet of tower height.
C. All tower supports, accessory equipment, equipment shelters, and peripheral anchors, including guy wire anchors, shall be set back from all property boundaries the minimum distance required for a principal structure for the zoning district in which a cellular communications tower is to be located, and shall comply with all other applicable zoning requirements and building codes.
D. Equipment shelters shall be obscured from view by being placed among or surrounded by trees, shrubs or fences and shall be locked at all times and shall be clearly labeled as to the person to be contacted in the event of an emergency.
E. To ensure the structural integrity of towers, the owner of a tower shall ensure that it is constructed and maintained in compliance with standards contained in the State Building Code, as amended from time to time. Towers must be structurally inspected by a registered engineer every 10 years, and a certificate of such inspection shall be filed with the Building Official.
Editor's Note: See R.I.G.L. § 23-27.3-100.1 et seq.
F. All telecommunications facilities and structures which have not been used for a period of one year shall be considered abandoned and shall be dismantled and removed at the owner's expense. The owner of such facility shall remove same within 90 days of receipt of notice from the Building Official. The applicant shall post a bond or cash security with the Finance Director sufficient to cover the cost of removal and restoration of the site prior to construction in any zone. The amount of said bond or security shall be estimated by the Building Official. If such antenna or tower is not removed within 90 days of receipt of notice, the Town may take the necessary action to remove the facility and restore the site to a condition consistent with the character of the surrounding area, at the owner's expense.