| Draft Environmental Impact Statement Shorts School Road Am Antenna Structures 12 The equipment buildings would be equipped with air conditioning equipment, and possibly a night security light. Any noise generated would be regulated and controlled by, and conform to, county noise standards (Chapter 10.01 SCC). The facilities would be fenced for safety, both around the perimeter of the equipment building/parking area, and around the base of the antenna structures. Landscaping is not proposed since it is the goal of the applicant to leave as much of the area available for agricultural use as possible. Landscaping could be added to the site, but if added would reduce the parcel area available for cultivation. As currently designed, the proposal seeks to maintain the maximum amount of land possible for continued agricultural use. The AM signal transmission structures will include a �ground� system consisting of buried 120 #10 copper wires (roughly 1/16 of an inch in diameter) radiating from the base of each antenna in a bicycle spoke pattern, with the transmission structure at the center of the spoke. These �grounding radials� are installed using a trench and bury procedure similar to that employed in planting corn. These radials will be buried up to a depth of 18 inches, and will extend 200 feet from the base of each structure. The grounding system is necessary for AM signal transmission. The ground surface area above the grounding radials will continue to be suitable for a variety of commercial agricultural uses after construction is completed. Aviation Warning Markings At the apex of the 349 foot antenna, two blinking red hazard warning lights would be positioned opposite of each other to allow 180 degrees of coverage along a horizontal plane. The 349 foot antenna would be painted orange and white in alternating bands, 50 feet each in length as prescribed by the FAA. Three smaller, non-blinking red hazard marker lights would be positioned near the mid-point of the antenna, approximately 175 feet high. All red lights would be vertically shielded to minimize visibility from the ground. In addition, the lights have been specifically designed to allow only a 5 degree light pattern to be emitted. The warning lights would operate from sunset to sunrise as well as during periods of dense fog and low light, activated by photovoltaic switch. The three remaining antennas required for Phase I do not require hazard lighting because they are less than 200 feet in height. These shorter antennas will be painted a muted gray color that blends more easily with the scenery and background. Future Co-Location S-R Broadcasting has unsuccessfully attempted in the past to acquire KWYZ Radio, a station with a �local� FCC designation that also operates from an existing site in the Snohomish River Valley. Another attempt to acquire this station may be made in the future. As a result, colocation of KWYZ radio is a possibility at the Shorts School Road site. If acquired, KWYZ would diplex (i.e., simultaneously broadcast with KRKO) from one of the four proposed Phase I antenna structures. |