CB MIXUP GETS HAMS STUNG BY NEW MILWAUKEE ANTENNA ORDINANCE
Milwaukee, Wisconsin hams are on their way to having to live with a new
and highly restrictive antenna ordinance because the city council cannot
tell the difference between CBers and hams. This according to Scott
Frakes, KB9PRG who tells Newsline that on July 25th, the City of
Milwaukee Common Council passed the restrictive measure aimed in part at
taking 11 meter Class D CB operators off the air and sent it on to the
Mayor for signing.
The new law will require a Special Use Permit, and a hearing before the
Board of Zoning Appeals for a tower to be erected. The law will cover
any tower and antenna that is over the maximum height limit of 40 feet.
The ordinance also increases setback requirements, that would in many
cases preclude even getting a Special Use permit. It also has
provisions that the proposed tower must not be a deterrent to the area.
There are other provisions, many aimed at commercial towers.
But here is the CB related kicker. As said, the new law was not only
aimed at limiting the number of commercial towers in the city. The
council also wants to put an end to CB interference to consumer
electronic equipment.
In years past, amateur radio towers were specifically exempted in
Milwaukee. However, the committee that this ordinance came out of was
also talking about interference problems with CB radio operators, and
made reference to the fact that this might get rid of CBers as well. So
they took out the exemption for amateur radio, thinking that this was
for CB radio.
What hams in Milwaukee will be able to do to educate their legislators
at this late date remains to be seen. Its also not known if existing
towers and antennas will be grand fathered under this new Milwaukee
tower law.
(Via KB9PRG, others)
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