[TowerTalk] Anyone not need a permit to install their tower? - No permit Required

[Tom Anderson]

Noel:

Get the city planner to put it in writing and even that doesn't ensure 
the city will honor it.

Before my XYL Cheryl (WY5H) and I moved in 1992 to our current QTH we 
lived in another  city that said they didn't have any tower restrictions 
and I had a letter on city letterhead from the mayor that said the same 
thing, no restrictions.  Then when some neighbors of another ham 
complained the didn't "like" his tower, the city staff suddenly said the 
city had a 35 foot height limit.  Got to be a big brouhaha, etc.  The 
neighbors were claiming all kinds of RFI, phones being messed up, garage 
doors opening mysteriously, the only thing was the ham didn't even have 
an N-connector or a PL259 on any piece of coax  going to any antenna he 
had.  I was inside his house and saw all the coax just coiled up in the 
living room.

At a city council meeting the mayor denied ever writing a letter to me, 
then when I produced a copy at the meeting before 100 or so people his 
memory got fuzzy and he "couldn't remember" writing it, but the letter 
appeared to be from him he said, as if implying someone else had written 
it.  City finally passed a 50 foot limit, then when things cooled down 
they quietly passed an annual tower inspection ordinance.  Hams and 
anybody else had to pay $50 a year for the "inspection".  When the city 
first did their inspections an independent tower company found a problem 
with only one ham's tower, but it found the city's public safety radio 
tower next to city hall was grossly overloaded with antennas far beyond 
the design limits and the school district's tower was in imminent danger 
of collapse.  A year later we got a new mayor and the inspection issue 
quietly died a peaceful death.  Hams also reminded the city who would 
operate their Skywarn radios, man their EOC, etc. during severe weather. 
 I got into an argument with the city's Fire Marshal/emergency 
management director who said he could operate any radio anytime he 
wanted license or no license.  I politely advised him not to try it on 
amateur radio unless he received at least a tech license.

Tom, WW5L



Noel wrote:

>So I called my local city planners office to begin the process of
>getting a permit to install a tower on my one acre lot. We live in a
>kind of agricultural area, but more horse-country than agricultural.  At
>first I'm told I'd need to get a "conditional use permit" to install my
>tower.  But later when trying to get more details of what I'd need for
>the permit, I speak directly with the city planner who tells me I don't
>need a permit at all because the city ordinance requiring a "conditional
>use permit" is only for towers over 75'.  And since my tower is only
>60', he does not think I need a permit at all. He goes on to read from
>the ordinance, and explains that it specifically exempts singe pole
>radio structures and the like under 75'.  I'm a little concerned about
>the words "single pole" because my tower is not a single pole.  But a
>triangular tower with four guys wires.  I explain that to the city
>planner and he still says I don't need a permit, if I keep the
>installation under 75'.  
>
>So my concern is, if I install my tower without a permit, and keep it
>under 75'.  What protection, if any, do I have if later someone
>complains about my antenna and tower? Not that I expect it from my
>neighbors but you never know. 
>
>According to the city planner, I can still get a "building permit" to
>ensure the installation meets proper installation requirements, but that
>it is not necessary.  I'm kind of relieved I don't have to get permit
>but wonder if I should anyway, or just go ahead with my installation and
>see what happens. 
>
>Thanks for any suggestions 
>Noel 
>
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