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Updated January 2025 – Gem Lake Consolidated Land Use Ordinance No. 131 125 4. Other unforeseen reasons that make it infeasible to locate the planned telecommunications equipment upon an existing or approved tower or building. 3. Any proposed commercial wireless telecommunications service tower shall be designed structurally, electrically and in all respects to accommodate both the applicant’s antennas and comparable antennas for at least two (2) additional users if the tower is over one hundred (100') feet in height or for at leaser one additional user if the tower is over sixty (60') feet in height. Towers must be designed to allow for future rearrangement of antennas upon the tower and to accept antennas mounted at varying heights. 4. Structural design, mounting, and installation of any tower or antenna shall be in compliance with the manufacturer’s specification and as may be necessary or as determined by the City Council. All such designs and installations shall be verified and approved by a qualified and licensed professional engineer employed by the applicant. 5. All towers and antennas and related structures shall be designed and built in compliance with all City of Gem Lake building codes and electrical code requirements, and as applicable shall require permits. Existing towers may continue in use but may not be structurally altered. 6. The height and style of the tower and antenna shall be the minimum necessary to function satisfactorily, as verified by a communications engineer or other appropriate professional. However, no towers erected for broadcast or Telecommunications service shall exceed 180 feet and no tower and accompanying antenna shall exceed two- hundred (200') feet. 7. All obsolete and unused towers and antennas shall be removed within six (6) months of cessation or operation at the site, unless an exemption is granted by the City Council. The City reserves the right to remove any unused tower or antenna at its expense then back charge the property owner to recover costs. 8. Damaged existing towers and antennas may be rebuilt to the same physical dimensions and at the same location. Repairs and rebuilding shall be complete within one (1) year after receiving the building permit from the City. However, if the tower is destroyed due to any reason or cause whatsoever, so that repairs would be forty (40%) percent or more of a new tower, then the tower may not be repaired or restored except in full compliance with this Ordinance. 9. No advertising message shall be affixed to any tower and or antenna structure. 10. No tower or antenna shall be illuminated by artificial means and must not display strobe lights, unless such lighting is required by the Federal Aviation Administration, or other federal or state authority for that particular tower. When incorporated into the approved design, the tower may support light fixtures used to illuminate parking lights, ball fields, or similar areas. 11. Towers and antennas must be designed to blend into the surrounding environment through use of color and camouflaging architectural treatment, except in instances where color is dictated by federal or state authorities such as the Federal Aviation Administration. Antenna support structures shall be painted light blue, gray, or silver or have a galvanized finish to reduce visual impact. 12. Towers located closer to a property line than the distance equal to the tot eh height of the tower shall be designed and engineered to collapse progressively within the distance between the tower and property line. The applicant for any tower shall submit written documentation explaining tower construction and possible failure and provide assurance that blowing or falling ice from tower/antenna can be contained on the subject property. At a minimum, the tower shall comply with the minimum setback requirement of the Zoning District in which it is located. 13. A tower shall be located on a parcel of land so as to have the least impact on adjoining properties and any negative impact of the tower shall be confined onto the property on which it is located, to the greatest extent possible. 14. The tower location shall provide the maximum amount of screening for off-site views of the tower and/or antenna and related structure. Existing on site vegetation shall be preserved to the maximum extent possible. 15. All utility buildings, structures, and equipment accessory to the tower or antenna must be architecturally designed to blend in with surrounding environment and must meet the minimum design requirements of the Zoning District in which they are located.