Fellow TowerTalk Folks:
Well. . . I surely did stir up a hornet's nest when I related my recent
experience about having to get a building permit (after the fact) for my
existing towers here in rural Iowa. I had no idea my comments would
stir such controversy.
I moved to the country from West Des Moines, an upscale suburb of Des
Moines. I had a tower/antenna structure there that had an overall
height or 70' in a neighborhood of 80'' X 120' lots and had no permit
and never got any hassles. My whole point was to relate my
circumstances and the fact that even those of us who live in the sticks
can have zoning problems. It's not just a city thing anymore.
I received numerous personal responses, some of which were borderline
wacko, advising me what I should tell the county to do with their permit
and where they could stick it, etc. Thankfully, that was not my
approach.
My advice to those of you who fall into similar circumstances. . .
First, don't get defensive (it's a natural reaction.) The zoning
processes around the country for the most part are in place for good
reason. You should follow the processes that are in place to get the
permit. Stay calm and reasonable, be as flexible as you can be, and
give the system a chance to work. Being nice to people can go a long
way to get you toward your goal. I did, and fortunately succeeded. If
you don't succeed, you need to have in mind your "Plan B" strategy. Had
I not succeeded, I was fully prepared to commit a fair amount of
financial resources to escalate the situation to whatever level it took
(within reason) to try to get it resolved favorably. Fortunately, I
didn't have to do that.
Someone said I gave up part of my personal liberty by paying the $62. I
hardly think so. I just followed the legitimate rules and process that
were in place. I could have easily been arrogant, belligerent, fought
the system, spent several $K in attorney's fees, and still not ended up
having two nice towers and some wonderful antenna systems. I think I'm
very fortunate.
That said, let's get back to the real stuff we're should be discussing
here on TowerTalk, a great reflector!
Respectfully, and 73 to all. . . Dave
W0FLS
--
FAQ on WWW: http://www.contesting.com/towertalkfaq.html
Submissions: towertalk@contesting.com
Administrative requests: towertalk-REQUEST@contesting.com
Problems: owner-towertalk@contesting.com
Search: http://www.contesting.com/km9p/search.htm
|