[TowerTalk] New County Ordinance on "Wireless Towers"

[Pete Smith]

Once in a long while the quirky gods that control local government toss 
us a bone.  This is a newly-added section of the Jefferson County, West 
Virginia Zoning Ordinance:

"Section 4B.3 Exempt Facilities Allowed by Right

This section covers antennas other than those associated with commercial 
wireless
telecommunication facilities, such as facilities associated with 
governmental users,
television and radio broadcast facilities, and private business users 
requiring an antenna
support structure of twelve feet or less. Antennas allowed by right 
subject to special
requirements of this section include:

A. Amateur radio facilities mounted on supporting structures less than 
100 feet in
height provided however, that commercial wireless providers and private 
business
users may not co-locate antennas on an amateur radio tower irrespective 
of its
height..."

The only "special requirements of this section" that apply relate solely 
to prohibiting co-location of commercial antennas on amateur towers.

I wish I could take credit for it, but this language was developed by 
our county planners last summer when I pointed out a need to make it 
clear that amateur radio towers and antennas should not be subject to 
the same restrictions imposed on commercial wireless towers and 
antennas.  All I had to do was look at their draft, gulp, grin to 
myself, say "that looks fine to me," and hope nobody objected in the 
public hearings.  Nobody did.  --

73, Pete N4ZR

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