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City of East Providence
City of East Providence Zoning Ordinance
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§ 19-351

Permitted uses

  • (a) Generally. The uses listed in this section are deemed to be permitted uses and shall not require a special use permit. All such uses shall, to the greatest extent possible, comply with the design standards of this article relating to setbacks and separation, lighting, landscaping and security fencing.

  • (b) Permitted uses. The following uses are specifically permitted:

    • (1) Antennas or towers located on property owned, leased, or otherwise controlled by the city provided a license or lease authorizing such antenna or tower has been approved by the city and further provided that a site plan and a copy of the executed lease shall be submitted by the applicant and approved by the zoning officer and director of planning prior to a building permit being issued.

    • (2) Notification of the proposed antenna or tower on property owned, leased or otherwise controlled by the city shall be required to be sent by first class mail by the applicant to all owners of real property whose property is located in or within 200 feet of the perimeter of the subject property, whether within the city or an adjacent city or town; such notice shall be sent to the last known address of such owners as shown on the current real estate tax assessment records of the city or town and at least 14 days prior to the city council meeting at which the license or lease authorizing such antenna or tower will be reviewed by the city council. The public notice shall contain a copy of the radius map showing the location of the cell tower and each of the properties in or within 200 feet of the perimeter of the subject property.

    • (3) Locating a tower, including the placement of additional buildings or other supporting equipment used in connection with the tower, in any I-3 zoning district provided, however, that such tower shall be set back a distance equal to the height of the tower from any off-site residential land use, or in the case of vacant residentially zoned land, setback a distance equal to the height of the tower less the residential yard setback for the adjacent residential district.

    • (4) Antennas, but not towers, upon the roof of any ten-story building or greater located within any zoning district.

    • (5) Locating antennas on existing structures or towers in any zoning district consistent with the terms of subsections a. and b. below.

      • a. Antennas on existing structures. Any antenna which is not attached to a tower may be approved by the zoning officer as an accessory use to any structure in an I-3 zoning district, provided:

        • 1. The antenna does not extend more than 30 feet above the highest point of the structure;

        • 2. The antenna complies with all applicable FCC and FAA regulations; and

        • 3. The antenna complies with all applicable building codes.

      • b. Antennas on existing towers. An antenna which is attached to an existing tower may be approved by the zoning officer and, to minimize adverse visual impacts associated with the proliferation and clustering of towers, colocation of antennas by more than one carrier on existing towers shall take precedence over the construction of new towers, provided such collocation is accomplished in a manner consistent with the following:

        • 1. A tower which is modified or reconstructed to accommodate the collocation of an additional antenna shall be of the same tower type as the existing tower, unless the zoning officer allows reconstruction as a monopole.

        • 2. Height.

          • (i) An existing tower may be modified or rebuilt to a taller height, not to exceed 30 feet over the tower's existing height, to accommodate the collocation of an additional antenna.

          • (ii) The height change referred to in subsection 3.(i) of this section may only occur one time per communication tower.

          • (iii) The additional height referred to in subsection 3.(i) shall not require an additional distance separation as set forth in section 19-353. The tower's premodification height shall be used to calculate such distance separations.

        • 3. On-site location.

          • (i) A tower which is being rebuilt to accommodate the collocation of an additional antenna may be moved on-site within ten feet of its existing location.

          • (ii) After the tower is rebuilt to accommodate collocation, only one tower may remain on the site.

          • (iii) A relocated on-site tower shall continue to be measured from the original tower location for purposes of calculating separation distances between towers pursuant to subsection 19-353(b)(5). The relocation of a tower hereunder shall in no way be deemed to cause a violation of subsection 19-353(b)(5).

          • (iv) The on-site relocation of a tower which comes within the separation distances to residential uses or residentially zoned lands as established in subsection 19-353(b)(5) shall only be permitted when approved by the zoning officer.

    • (6) Installing a cable microcell network through the use of multiple low-powered transmitters/receivers attached to existing wireline systems, such as conventional cable or telephone wires, or similar technology that does not require the use of towers.

(Ch. 463, § I, 12-16-97; Ch. 80, § I, 8-10-99; Ch. 81, § I, 8-10-99; Ch. 944, § I(Att.), 9-2-25)