Legal Documents of Sweetwater

This district is established as an overlay district for the purpose of regulating the location of commercial telecommunication towers and related equipment within the City of Sweetwater. The intent is to permit lands that are visually screened from nearby residential development and the historic zoning district to be used for telecommunication towers, while still allowing the uses permitted in the underlying zoning districts. This T telecommunication tower zoning overlay district is shown on the "Zoning Map Sweetwater, Tennessee," the following regulations and other applicable provisions of this zoning code shall apply.

1. Uses permitted. Property, buildings, and structures located in the telecommunication tower zoning overlay district (T) shall be used for the purposes permitted by the base zone approved for the site. In addition to such uses and structures, the following uses and structures are permitted:
   
   1. Monopole commercial telecommunication tower(s).
   2. Antennae, equipment shelters, cabinets, fencing, and all other structures accessory to monopole commercial cellular towers.
2. Minimum development regulations for telecommunication tower(s).
   
   1. The telecommunication tower zoning overlay district shall only be permitted on publically owned land or land that is commercially or industrially zoned. The overlay district shall not be permitted on any land zoned H-1 Historic zoning overlay district.
   2. Applicants shall provide a notarized determination of need stating that no suitable existing tower(s) within the coverage area are available for a colocation or qualify to meet the needed coverage area. Maps shall also be provided that identify before and after coverage.
   3. Towers shall be constructed to accommodate a minimum of five (5) antennae and must be made available for colocation to more than two (2) commercial communications companies.
   4. Towers shall not be lighted unless required by the Federal Aviation Administration (F.A.A.). Documentation from the F.A.A. which requires lighting shall be submitted with the site plan application.
   5. The base of towers, to include all accessory ground equipment and structures, shall be screened from public view. These improvements shall be securely fenced within a perimeter of no less than six feet (6') in height and have a screening opacity of eighty percent (80%) or greater when viewed horizontally from grade level to the top of the screen. The perimeter fencing shall also be buffered by planting at least one (1) healthy row of evergreen trees or shrubs capable of forming a continuous hedge. Such plants may be used to support the required fencing opacity. Said trees or shrubs shall be capable of growing to at least six feet (6') in height within two (2) years of planting and shall be maintained in a healthy condition. Existing vegetation, earth terms, existing topographic features, walls, fences, buildings, and other similar features may be used to meet the screening requirements if they achieve the same degree of screening.
   6. The tower and accessory structures may be the sole use or a secondary use to the uses and structures permitted within the base zone.
   7. All telecommunication towers and related equipment shall be removed when the facility has not been in service for more than six (6) months.
3. Lot and area regulations.
   
   1. Towers shall be set back from all property lines by a minimum distance equal to its engineered fall zone or the minimum setbacks of the base zoning district, whichever is greater. Accessory ground equipment and structures shall be set back per the minimum setback requirements within the base zoning district.
   2. Towers shall not exceed two hundred feet (200') in height and shall comply with all F.A.A. regulations and building codes. The overall height of the tower shall be measured from the surrounding grade to the top of the structure, including the base pad and any antenna or lightening rod. Accessory ground equipment and structures shall be limited to the height requirements within the base zoning district.
   3. All uses permitted in the base zoning district shall comply with the minimum requirements of the base zoning district. (as added by Ord. #922, May 2015, and amended by Ord. #984, Dec. 2020 Ch7_02-07-22)