Permit for collocation of small wireless facilities on existing non-authority utility pole.
Tampa City Code § 22-327.1
in effectSec. 22-327.1. - Permit for collocation of small wireless facilities on existing non-authority utility pole.
As part of any permit application to collocate a small wireless facility (SWFC application) on an existing, non-authority utility pole, a wireless provider applicant shall include with the SWFC application submittal, at a minimum, the information described below. SWFC applications that propose replacing existing, non-authority poles, shall be accepted and processed by the city, in accordance with section 22-327.2.
(a) Minimum application submittal requirements. No permit shall be issued unless a wireless provider applicant submits a written application to the city, in accordance with this article. A SWFC application for a permit shall be filed in the form and manner specified by the city, (such as in an electronic form acceptable to the city) and contain such information as may be required by the city, including, at a minimum, the information contained in this section. The city may require the wireless provider applicant to provide such additional information as the city deems necessary to complete its review of a requested permit. Pursuant to section 337.401(7)(d)2, Florida Statutes, the city shall not require a wireless provider applicant to provide more information than is necessary to demonstrate compliance with applicable codes. At a minimum, the wireless provider applicant shall submit the following information in its application:
(1) The name, address, electronic mail address, and phone number (cellular number if available) of the wireless provider applicant who is requesting the permit and written evidence that such wireless provider applicant has legal authority to place, maintain, or remove the equipment or facilities covered by the requested permit in the public rights-of-way and will own and/or control all such equipment and facilities after completion of construction;
(2) A description of the facilities/equipment, dimensions, and proposed locations of all equipment and facilities covered by the requested permit;
(3) The specific location, depth, dimensions, and length of each proposed new or replacement duct, conduit, or other underground facility and the specific location, depth, dimensions, and height of any utility pole covered by the requested permit, to the extent necessary to demonstrate compliance with applicable codes;
(4) A description of the manner in which the work covered by the requested permit is to be undertaken (i.e., proposed construction methods and techniques) and a proposed date for commencement of work and an estimate of the time required to complete all such work;
(5) A city-approved maintenance-of-traffic plan for vehicular, bicycle, and pedestrian traffic in the area to be affected by the proposed work;
(6) Proof of insurance; acknowledgement of indemnification; and, performance bond(s);
(7) Identification and description of any utility or other distribution or transmission system to which any equipment or facility covered by the requested permit is to be connected or attached;
(8) Sufficient specificity demonstrating compliance with the Florida Building Code, most current edition, specifically including but not limited to terms of compliance with the High Velocity Zone Criteria specified therein;
(9) The Global Positioning System (GPS) coordinates of the proposed facility. The GPS coordinates shall be based on the reading from a handheld mobile GPS unit set to Datum NAD 83 or WGS84. GPS coordinates based on Google Earth or similar software application may be used where areas of shading occur due to overhead canopy. GPS Coordinates shall be provided in decimal degrees at a 6 decimal point precision;
(10) Engineering drawings signed and sealed by a structural engineer, which depict:
a. Details and specifications that demonstrate compliance with applicable codes;
b. Public rights-of-way in the affected area of the proposed construction;
c. A survey of locations of all existing equipment and facilities in the area of proposed construction;
d. All equipment and facilities to be installed and/or removed;
e. The routes of all transmission and distribution lines to be installed or removed; and,
f. The sites of all other equipment and facilities to be installed or removed in the public rights-of-way.
(11) Proof of pole attachment agreement and/or letter of authorization for pole attachment from pole owner or authorized agent;
(12) Photographic or video documentation of the pre-construction condition of the public rights-of-way in the area to be affected by the proposed work; and,
(13) Restoration plan and estimated cost of restoration of the public rights-of-way. A restoration plan and a good faith estimate of the cost of restoration of the public rights-of-way. Such good faith estimate shall be accepted by the city, unless the city determines such estimated costs are not representative of the actual costs of the restoration of the public rights-of-way. Estimates of the cost to restore the public rights-of-way shall include all costs necessary to restore the public rights-of-way to its original condition, in compliance with minimum city technical standards. Such good faith estimate may include, but shall not be limited to, costs to restore the paving, curbs/gutters, sidewalks, multi-purpose trails, and landscaping. All planted or naturally occurring shrubbery or vegetation, including sod and/or other ground cover, damaged or destroyed during work in the public rights-of-way shall be replaced. Any tree pruning and/or removal approved as part of the permit shall not be considered damage or impairment to be restored to the original condition, provided the person complies with the approved mitigation plan and ANSI pruning standards, as applicable.
(14) Design standards. The wireless provider applicant shall provide a description of and sufficient details and specifications to demonstrate compliance with design standards to be utilized to minimize the visual impacts, in accordance with section 22-328.
(b) Application quantity. A wireless provider applicant seeking to collocate small wireless facilities may, at said applicant's discretion, file a consolidated small wireless facility collocation (SWFC) application and receive a single permit for the collocation of up to thirty (30) small wireless facilities.
(c) Decision and notice for application submittal (completeness). Within fourteen (14) days after receiving a small wireless facility collocation (SWFC) application, the city shall determine and notify the wireless provider applicant by electronic mail as to whether said application is complete.
(1) If a SWFC application is deemed incomplete, the city shall specifically identify the missing information.
(2) If the SWFC application includes multiple small wireless facilities, the city may separately address small wireless facility collocations for which incomplete information has been received.
(3) A SWFC application is deemed complete if the city fails to provide notification to the wireless provider applicant within fourteen (14) days of the application filing date.
(d) Decision and notice for application (permit issuance/denial). A small wireless facility collocation (SWFC) application shall be processed on a non-discriminatory basis, and is subject to the following:
(1) A complete SWFC application is deemed approved if the city fails to approve or deny the application within sixty (60) days after receipt of the application.
(2) If the SWFC application includes multiple small wireless facilities, the city may separately address small wireless facility collocations which are denied.
(3) The city shall notify the wireless provider applicant of approval or denial by electronic mail. If the SWFC application is denied, the city shall specify in writing the basis for denial, including the specific code provisions on which the denial was based, and send the documentation to the wireless provider applicant by electronic mail. The date the electronic mail is sent shall be the date of denial.
(4) If the city does not use the thirty-day (30-day) negotiation period provided in subsection(e) below, the parties may mutually agree to extend the sixty-day application review period. The city shall grant or deny the SWFC application at the end of the extended period.
(5) The wireless provider applicant may cure the deficiencies identified by the city and resubmit the SWFC application within thirty (30) days after notice of the denial is sent to the wireless provider applicant. The city shall approve or deny the revised SWFC application within thirty (30) days after receipt of said application is deemed approved. Any subsequent review shall be limited to the deficiencies cited in the denial.
(e) Alternative location. Within fourteen (14) days after the date of filing the SWFC application, the city may request that the proposed location of a small wireless facility be moved to another location in the rights-of-way and placed on an alternative authority utility pole (refer to "make ready" provisions), support structure, or request the wireless provider applicant to place a new utility pole. The city and the wireless provider applicant may negotiate the alternative location, including any objective design standards and reasonable spacing requirements for ground-based equipment, for thirty (30) days after the date of the request. At the conclusion of the negotiation period, if the alternative location is accepted by the wireless provider applicant, the wireless provider applicant must notify the authority of such acceptance and the application shall be deemed granted for any new location(s) for which there is agreement. If an agreement is not reached, the wireless provider applicant must notify the authority of such non-agreement and the authority must grant or deny the original SWFC application within ninety (90) days after the date said application was filed. A request for an alternative location, an acceptance of an alternative location, or a rejection of an alternative location must be in writing and provided by electronic mail.
(f) Permit review criteria.
(1) The city shall approve a SWFC application and issue a right-of-way permit to a wireless provider applicant once said applicant has demonstrated compliance with the following non-discriminatory, objective criteria and applicable codes:
a. The height of a small wireless facility shall be limited to ten (10) feet above the existing utility pole upon which the small wireless facility is to be collocated;
b. The SWFC application shall demonstrate compliance with applicable codes, as defined in this chapter, and design standards set forth in section 22-328.
c. The SWFC application demonstrates compliance with the requirements set forth in division 4 below for insurance, indemnification, and performance bonds.
d. Airport airspace protections. The SWFC application includes evidence of and statement that any structure to be installed pursuant to this article shall comply with F.S. Ch. 333, and federal regulations pertaining to airport airspace protections.
(2) The city shall deny a proposed collocation of a small wireless facility in the public rights-of-way, if the proposed collocation:
a. Materially interferes with the safe operation of traffic control equipment;
b. Materially interferes with sight lines or clear zones for transportation, pedestrians, or public safety purposes;
c. Materially interferes with compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act or similar federal or state standards regarding pedestrian access or movement;
d. Materially fails to comply with the 2010 Florida Department of Transportation Utility Accommodation Manual;
e. Fails to comply with criteria set forth in (f)(1) above, applicable codes (as defined in section 22-5), or design standards set forth in section 22-328.
(Ord. No. 2017-150, § 48, 10-26-2017)
Source: City of Tampa, Code of Ordinances and Charter and Related Laws (Municode Library, library.municode.com)URL: https://library.municode.com/fl/tampa/codes/code_of_ordinances?nodeId=COOR_CH22STSI_ARTIVCOFAPURI-W_DIV3GEPEREPR_SD2SPPEAPREREPR_S22-327.1PECOSMWIFAEXNTHUTPOFetched: 10/28/2026