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

[Bill Coleman]

On 1/9/04 11:33 AM, Bob Gates at regates at kingwoodcable.com wrote:

>You go to the building department with your plans.  They make a 
>determination on
>whether or not you require Planning/Zoning approval.  If you do, you make
>application through that department.  Typically you are asking for a 
>Conditional
>Use Permit, or words to that effect.  This approval is based on "what" you 
>wish
>to construct

Here in Gwinnett County, GA, we have different sets of rules for towers 
under 50 feet, under 70 feet, under 110 feet and over 110 feet. The 
requirements become more and more stringent as the tower height increases.

However, obtaining the permit for my modest 49.5 footer was not easy. The 
problem is the building department of the county doesn't know how to 
handle them. 

When I first went in, I asked them what I needed for my proposed tower 
installation. After some time, they gave me some papers and I walked out. 
On the way to the car, I realised that they gave me the paperwork for 
towers over 110 feet.

I went back and they looked around some more. Finally they just gave me a 
standard building permit form. Filling it out was really fun, since it 
had a whole bunch of stuff that applies to real buildings, but not to 
towers. (like, how many square feet of foundation? (Four), How many 
bathrooms? (Zero))

The rest of the process took so long my wife had to do it during the next 
few days. Seems the building department decided we had to jump through 
every hoop they had. She had to go to the environmental department to see 
if the foundation was going to have an impact. After waiting in line a 
long time, they finally asked her how big the foundation was (Four square 
feet). "Well, I suppose you won't need a soil perk test for that." 

Each department kept asking questions that were obvious from the building 
permit form. Finally, when they couldn't find any reason to deny the 
permit, they issued it.

Everything else was downhill from there. 

Even though it was such a hassle, I'm glad I did it. My neighbors 
couldn't protest the tower, since it was properly permitted. My 
homeowners would cover it, since it was properly permitted.



Bill Coleman, AA4LR, PP-ASEL        Mail: aa4lr at arrl.net
Quote: "Not within a thousand years will man ever fly!"
            -- Wilbur Wright, 1901