§ 90-61. Purpose and findings.

The City of Lavonia finds that wireless, cellular, television and radio telecommunications towers and antennae (sometimes collectively referred to as "towers"), provide an economic benefit to the city and its residents. The mayor and council that regulation of such towers, among other benefits, ensures public safety and protects property values of the residents of the city.

By enacting this article, the city intends to:

(1)

Establish guidelines for the siting of all such towers so as to balance the interests of the residents of the city, telecommunications providers, and telecommunications customers in the siting of telecommunications facilities within the city so as to protect the health, safety and integrity of residential neighborhoods.

(2)

Foster, through appropriate zoning and land use controls, a competitive environment for telecommunications carriers that does not unreasonably discriminate among providers of functionally equivalent personal wireless services and shall not prohibit or have the effect of prohibiting the provision of personal wireless services, and so as to promote the city as a proactive city in the availability of personal wireless telecommunications service.

(3)

Provide for the appropriate location and development of telecommunications facilities in the city.

(4)

Protect the city built and natural environment by promoting compatible design standards for telecommunications facilities.

(Ord. of 10-6-2003, § I)