[TowerTalk] San Jose zoning re: antennas

[Jim Jarvis]

Although I've worked for two San Jose based companies, and
been there scads of times, I have only a loose feel for the
building climate.

Have you considered approaching the city planner?  He's usually
the guy who advises the city council on ordinance content.  In
San Jose, he probably has folks on staff who might be able to give
you the department's view on things like "micro=cell towers", and
proliferation of cell sites in the urban and sub-urban environment.

If you can establish a working rapport at the city planner level,
there's a chance you'll find out what their thinking really is...and
perhaps they're looking for ways to adjust their ordinance to comply
with prb-1.   Evidence of rational discussion with an amateur, and
review of possible draft changes by an ARRL VC....would go a long way
to make ordinance changes defensible.  A properly business-like approach
might pay off.

In 1988, In Metuchen, NJ, I lost my variance request, "because I
didn't prove that I needed a 70' tower".  (Even though I had clearly
done so.)  Spent well over a kilobuck on attorney's fees staging this
war.   Simultaneously,  though, I was talking with the planning board,
which was in process of drafting a new zoning ordinance.  They included
a 70' tower limit, with 50% setback, based on my recommendation, and some
engineering studies.   Town council adopted it without discussion.
I got my tower.

(I note that the 60' of Rohn 25G I donated to the fire department back then
is STILL holding up their dispatch link antennas.)  The planning board chair
was involved in the volunteer fire department.  heh.

n2ea
jimjarvis at ieee.org