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Draft cell‑site ordinance circulated; board asked to submit comments by April 1
Summary
City staff presented a draft update to the city’s cell‑site ordinance and asked the Environmental Advisory Board for written comments by April 1 on items including lighting, height limits, abandonment and visual mitigation.
City staff presented a draft revision of the Fort Myers cell‑site ordinance at the March 4 Environmental Advisory Board meeting and asked the board to submit comments by April 1.
The draft — prepared with input from the assistant city attorney — updates multiple sections: lighting standards intended to reduce impacts on birds and nearby residents, maximum heights for structures in residential districts, requirements for removal of abandoned facilities and time frames for decommissioning, and considerations for disguising facilities in visually sensitive locations.
Staff noted statutory and federal preemption concerns involving the Federal Communications Commission and the Federal Aviation Administration and cautioned that the city’s regulatory authority is constrained where federal or state law applies. Staff also said the draft already includes examples of aviation safety‑driven lighting options such as white flashing lights and aircraft detection lighting systems that activate only when necessary.
Key details discussed: a board member pointed out that in residential zoning districts the draft caps tower height at 35 feet; staff confirmed that nonresidential districts will have different maximum heights listed in a chart in the ordinance. The assistant city attorney and staff asked the board to focus comments on environmental impacts (bird and bat collisions, light pollution), visual mitigation, and abandonment/decommissioning language.
Next steps: staff requested written comments from the board by April 1 regardless of whether the board meets that day; staff intends to refine the draft for subsequent review and eventual submittal to City Council for consideration.
