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Wireless Installations in the Right-of-Way
These requirements have been developed for:
- Public and operator safety
- Efficient working conditions
- Theft management
- Effective management of the public rights of way
Five Major Policy Criteria
The City of Eugene has a sound history of appropriately permitting wireless facilities on public rights of way sites. There are five major policy criteria upon which work permits and pole-co-location attachments are approved:
- Under-grounding
- Stealth Technology
- Total Volume of Equipment
- Ornamental & Architectural Poles
- Traffic Signal Poles
The City of Eugene requires Small Cell installations to place as much of the infrastructure below the roadway surface as feasible, including (but not limited to) all entrance wires (electrical, communications, etc.), ancillary equipment, or any other equipment that does not require being adjacent to the antenna, as per Small Cell Permit Application.
Rationale
- Mitigate pole access safety problems due to excessive overhead wires
- Overhead wires present a safety consideration for aerial truck work
- Overhead wires are a major impedance to a safe, quick, and orderly storm and on-ground fire recovery process
- Mitigate wire theft and tampering
References
- FCC Radiofrequency Safety FAQ
Opens a New Window. - Utility Construction and Use of the Right-of-Way Manual Opens a New Window.
- Admin Order 58-03-19-F section R-7.302-E and R-7.302-F Opens a New Window.
- Downed Utility Line Safety During Emergency Operations / Storm Response Opens a New Window.
- PWM Right-of-Way Small Cell Permit Application Guide for City-Owned Poles
- PWM Right-of-Way Small Cell Permit Application Guide for Non-City-Owned Poles Opens a New Window.
- Small Cell Installation for Metal Poles with New Foundations Opens a New Window.
- PWM Wireless Right-Of-Way GuidelinesPWM Opens a New Window.
“Stealth Technology” is a method(s) of concealing or minimizing the visual impact of a Small Cell Wireless Facility and Support Structure by incorporating features or design elements which either totally or partially conceal such facilities. The use of these features or design elements is intended to produce the result of having the facilities and associated structures blend into the surrounding environment and/or disguise, shield, hide or create the appearance that the facilities are an architectural component of the support structure.
The City of Eugene requires stealth technology be employed on all Small Cell installations. If a new pole is being added with the primary purpose of supporting new cellular installations, the City of Eugene requires the use of poles designed to conceal the Small Cell hardware.
Rationale
- See Undergrounding
- Wire theft and tampering preventative measure
References
The total volume of equipment that can be mounted on the external part of a given pole installation is governed by the respective Master Lease Agreement and/or the Standard Lease Agreement.
Restrictions
The City of Eugene specifies the following restrictions on the total volume of equipment that a given installation may place on a pole:
Steel Poles
Steel poles are limited to 10 cubic feet maximum of external equipment. The total height of any co-located installation cannot exceed a maximum additional height of 6 feet as measured from the top of the pole to the top of the antenna. Maximum height of total installation is dictated by the public right-of-way guidelines for the adjacent properties.
Steel Poles Rationale
For City-owned steel poles purchased from a local utility, the depth of the foundations of these poles is not known. Therefore, the City Engineer has determined that 10 cubic feet is the maximum volume of equipment that these poles can safely handle.
Wood Poles
Wood poles are limited to 20 cubic feet maximum of external equipment (excluding antenna), and 2 antennas at 3 cubic feet each, for a total antenna volume of 6 cubic feet maximum, and a total equipment volume of 26 cubic feet. Maximum height of total installation is dictated by the right-of-way guidelines for the adjacent properties. The total height of any co-located installation cannot exceed a maximum additional height of 18 feet as measured from the top of the pole to the top of the antenna. Additionally, in residential areas the maximum total pole and equipment height is 75 feet from ground level.
Wood Poles Rationale
The City of Eugene has imposed this limit due to pole access considerations (climbing space, overhead work safety).
References
The City of Eugene has several styles of ornamental and architectural poles that are used in various locations throughout the city. No additional equipment may be added to these poles.
Rationale
- The poles are not designed for additional loadings.
- The relative shorter height of the poles makes them targets for wire theft.
- The inclusion of modern technology equipment violates the historic aesthetics of the pole.
Micro-cellular installations are forbidden to be installed on any part of the City’s traffic signal poles.
Rationale
- The poles, cabinets, and conduits are generally “full” or “near full,” and therefore lack the capacity to house additional infrastructure.
- In cases where the poles are not full, the City reserves the unused space for future use of new technologies specifically designated for traffic operations.
- The signals are critical public safety and emergency operations infrastructure and, as such, we do not allow co-location access to private entities.
- No external mounting to the outside of the traffic signal poles is allowed.
- See Undergrounding
Note: “Small Wireless Facilities” and “Small Cell” refers to any cellular/radio installation for licensed or unlicensed spectrum and can include facilities described as:
- Small area cell
- Distributed-Antenna Systems (DAS)
- Femtocells
- Picocells
- Microcells, beam-forming technologies, millimeter wave, microwave, etc.