20.890.020 Applicability.
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A. Exemptions. The requirements of this chapter shall apply to all new wireless communications facilities and the expansion and/or alteration of any existing facilities within the city of Vancouver, subject to the following exemptions:
1. Satellite earth stations using antennas not more than two meters in diameter in commercial and industrial districts and direct-to-home satellite services using any size antenna in any district.
2. Send-and-receive citizen band radio antennas operated by federally licensed amateur (ham) radio operators.
3. Industrial, scientific and medical equipment as regulated by the FCC in 47 CFR Part 18.
4. Military and government radar antennae and associated communication towers used for navigational purposes as regulated by the FCC by 47 CFR Parts 97 and 95 respectively:
a. Military and federal, state and local government communications facilities used for emergency preparedness and public safety purposes; and
b. Normal, routine and emergency maintenance and repair of existing wireless communications facilities which do not increase the size, footprint or bulk of such facilities and which otherwise comply with city, state and federal law and regulations.
B. Process Type. All permitted attached antennas and collocations require a Type I building permit. All other permitted uses shall require a Type II permit. Any wireless communications facilities not otherwise permitted or prohibited shall require a conditional use permit.
C. General development standards. Those wireless communication facilities which require a conditional use permit to be located in the applicable zoning district are subject to the general development standards of VMC 20.890.040; the specific approval criteria of VMC 20.890.080; and the general conditional use approval criteria contained in Chapter 20.245 VMC governing conditional uses.
D. BPA Transmission Lines. BPA transmission towers and municipal water towers shall be considered wireless support structures for the purposes of collocations. (Ord. M-3959 § 40, 07/19/2010; Ord. M-3643, 01/26/2004)