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Fountain Hills Planning Commission reviews draft wireless-communications ordinance; commissioners press vaulting, testing and insurance details
Summary
Commissioners reviewed an initial draft of proposed revisions to Chapter 17 (wireless communications) on May 12, focusing on underground vault standards, separation distances, shot‑clock timelines, annual testing and insurance requirements. Staff will refine language and return for further review.
The Fountain Hills Planning and Zoning Commission on May 12 reviewed an initial draft rewrite of Chapter 17 of the zoning ordinance, which covers wireless communications, towers and antennas.
Director John Westlake presented a draft built from a consultant model and prior commission direction; commissioners probed definitions, application types, review timelines (the federal “shot clocks”), equipment‑vaulting preferences and compliance testing and insurance requirements.
The draft aims to fold in industry-standard definitions and TCA/FCC time limits while also strengthening local safeguards. Staff said they attempted to make underground vaulting the standard for equipment where feasible and to require above-grade installations only when vaulting is impracticable. Commissioners asked staff to clarify language on required baffling and noise metrics for generator or backup equipment and to make the underground preference…
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