Longmeadow MA restricting Cell Phone Towers

[ejedwards.oppd.gov]

Al, KE1FO, said: 
>>What do people think, should we be concerned?<< 
 
Hi Al: 
 
I think we should be concerned if this results in anti-tower ordinances 
replacing ham friendly ordinances. 
 
In Omaha, NE like many other places in the USA, the 2 GHz PCS (read "new 
digital cellular system") folks want to build out a system overnight.  Instead 
of only 1 or 2 cellular systems there will soon be 4 or 5 in each community.  
Each requires tower space and none want to let their competitors onto their 
towers.  After all, they worked hard to get prime cell sites into place over 
the last 10 years.  In Omaha last year, the PCS company, Sprint Spectrum, 
asked for over 12-15 or more new tower sites per month until a "moratorium" 
was placed on new commercial tower requests.  I think the moratorium was 
intended to slow down the PCS build out until the planners could figure out 
how to handle this mess. 
 
We're trying to ensure that this won't impact Amateur towers.  During the last 
couple years, some members of our radio club have rewritten the ordinance that 
pertains to Amateur Radio towers.  We are trying to increase the maximum 
allowable height for Amateur Towers from 43ft 9 inches (25% over the 35 ft 
limit for non-hams) to a 70 ft maximum.  We were told to provide the rewritten 
ordinance, and it would then be considered for incorporation into a "Master 
Plan" rewrite which is still in progress and has been for over a year now.  
When it comes up for approval, we are planning on packing the hearing with 
hams and public service officials to ensure we get it approved. 
 
Instead of sitting back and worrying about the anti-tower fever sweeping the 
nation, we need to become proactive and start asking for higher tower limits 
where ever we can. 
 
Just a few of my thoughts on the subject.  Hope this gets some others thinking 
in the same direction. 
 
73, 
de ed 
-.-. --.-  -.. -..-   -.-. --.-   -.. .   -.- ----- .. .-..   -.- 
Eddie Jay Edwards                      E-mail: ejedwards@oppd.gov 
P.O. Box 375                             Amateur Radio Call: K0IL 
Elkhorn, NE  68022-0375       AK-SAR-BEN ARC Past-President, 1996 
Visit Ak-Sar-Ben ARC home page at URL> http://www.probe.net/~aarc 
.-- .... -.--  .-.  ..-  .-. . .- -.. .. -. --.  - .... .. ...?;^) 



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