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Codes and Zone Laws for Base Antennas

Be aware!
When you think that everything is running smooth as silk and then Murphy's Law comes out of the woods.
The tip of my Solarcon MAX 2000 is forty-six feet above the ground. The highest obstacle (galvanized chimney pipe) on my house is twenty-feet above the ground. I noticed two guys from the City Code Enforcement's Office taking photos of my antenna from their work truck and I immediately approached them to ask why. Apparently someone called-in to file a complaint. He handed me a copy of the Zoning Code relating to antenna heights. Unknown to me, the zoning code states that the top of the antenna cannot be more than ten-feet above the roof unless I have prior approval from the Zoning Board. I asked him how high is the antenna and he said it is more than ten-feet above the roof. My question to him was; "your truck is about one-hundred feet from my house, how did you measure the height of the antenna sitting in the truck"? Before he started to trip on an answer I told him the exact height and yes I am in violation of the zoning code.
The good news is there is a Special Use appeal/ application for a situation as this one. Fill out the request, meet with the Zoning Board and bring any and all documents stating that the antenna must be higher than ten-feet in order to be affective. OK, I have everything I need and I've been unofficially informed that there shouldn't be any problems getting the approval, but......it all depends on the results of the five member voting team.
The bad news! I have to pay $100.00 to the city so as to get scheduled for the next Zoning Board meeting.
Ha! ha! ha! City bureaucracy at its best.
Oh well, life goes on!
You pay taxes why the fee
 
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I live in the sticks now so NP's here .:)But when I lived in a Water Front Community , in my town if you had to file a " Variance " 20 years ago it was over $700 , plus postage to neighbors effected ! Such a deal you got ! Ps , this was not for an antenna it was a shed but the variance fee is the same .:whistle:
 
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Be aware!
When you think that everything is running smooth as silk and then Murphy's Law comes out of the woods.
The tip of my Solarcon MAX 2000 is forty-six feet above the ground. The highest obstacle (galvanized chimney pipe) on my house is twenty-feet above the ground. I noticed two guys from the City Code Enforcement's Office taking photos of my antenna from their work truck and I immediately approached them to ask why. Apparently someone called-in to file a complaint. He handed me a copy of the Zoning Code relating to antenna heights. Unknown to me, the zoning code states that the top of the antenna cannot be more than ten-feet above the roof unless I have prior approval from the Zoning Board. I asked him how high is the antenna and he said it is more than ten-feet above the roof. My question to him was; "your truck is about one-hundred feet from my house, how did you measure the height of the antenna sitting in the truck"? Before he started to trip on an answer I told him the exact height and yes I am in violation of the zoning code.
The good news is there is a Special Use appeal/ application for a situation as this one. Fill out the request, meet with the Zoning Board and bring any and all documents stating that the antenna must be higher than ten-feet in order to be affective. OK, I have everything I need and I've been unofficially informed that there shouldn't be any problems getting the approval, but......it all depends on the results of the five member voting team.
The bad news! I have to pay $100.00 to the city so as to get scheduled for the next Zoning Board meeting.
Ha! ha! ha! City bureaucracy at its best.
Oh well, life goes on!
I got you beat on that one! I put up a M400 antenna and my neighbor hit the roof!
Then I put up a pole to run my long wire to so I could run it as a sloper antenna. The neighbors came over to inspect my handy work and I got between them and the quick exit so they had to talk to me. I jokingly told them if it was 6" igher I would have to put FAA red lights on it. Instant crazy ensued. Later that week I saw them talking to a couple of government types all looking in my yard at the antenna.

Governmental # 1 said loudly," You called the FAA to complain about that antenna pole?
Governmental # 2 says just as loudly,"There are charges For filing false reports!"
Both of the Governmental types left in disgust and cautioned them saying in the future they would be charged for filing false reports.
I knew right then and there who my friends were not! They took a simple pole that stood less than 48 feet tall and tried to make a Federal Case out of it.
What a bunch of "good buddies".
 
The person who complained does not live on the same street as I do, but she use to walk her dog on my side of the street and let the dog "do his thing" on my lawn and a few other neighbors lawns until I approached her and told her to keep of my property.
When I explained to the Code Enforcement person that the antenna is currently being used for CB radio communication and later it will be used for amateur radio, that is when he handed me the document which explains the process to apply for a Special Use permit for antennas and towers.
I am confident this issue will be resolved. What aggravates me the most is the person who filed the complaint lives two streets away from me.

maybe you should start putting little rubber ducky antennas on her lawn.
LC
 
Be aware!
When you think that everything is running smooth as silk and then Murphy's Law comes out of the woods.
The tip of my Solarcon MAX 2000 is forty-six feet above the ground. The highest obstacle (galvanized chimney pipe) on my house is twenty-feet above the ground. I noticed two guys from the City Code Enforcement's Office taking photos of my antenna from their work truck and I immediately approached them to ask why. Apparently someone called-in to file a complaint. He handed me a copy of the Zoning Code relating to antenna heights. Unknown to me, the zoning code states that the top of the antenna cannot be more than ten-feet above the roof unless I have prior approval from the Zoning Board. I asked him how high is the antenna and he said it is more than ten-feet above the roof. My question to him was; "your truck is about one-hundred feet from my house, how did you measure the height of the antenna sitting in the truck"? Before he started to trip on an answer I told him the exact height and yes I am in violation of the zoning code.
The good news is there is a Special Use appeal/ application for a situation as this one. Fill out the request, meet with the Zoning Board and bring any and all documents stating that the antenna must be higher than ten-feet in order to be affective. OK, I have everything I need and I've been unofficially informed that there shouldn't be any problems getting the approval, but......it all depends on the results of the five member voting team.
The bad news! I have to pay $100.00 to the city so as to get scheduled for the next Zoning Board meeting.
Ha! ha! ha! City bureaucracy at its best.
Oh well, life goes on!
If it were me I'd replace that nice unobtrusive fiberglass stick with a 41 foot M-108 on a 5 foot tripod and a 9 foot pole and ask them to come out and measure now. In full compliance with a much bigger and uglier antenna :)
 
I want several of those large radioactive warning signs. I would put those just so my pain in the ass neighbors could see them.
international-symbol-labels-radioactive-material-hazard-sym61-lg.jpg
 
Make sure you read their code book. My town has the same law but it excludes things like chimneys, flag staffs, radio and television antennas. Here they will intentionally mislead you by not reading the exclusions and only concerning themselves with the basic height limit. Going so far as to threaten fines until I purchased a copy of the code book they would not let me see.

Having that code book in my hand on my 4th visit to zoning allowed me to inform them the antenna would remain in place, no fines would be paid and their harassment based on misuse of their rules will end immediately. I'm not saying this is the case in your location. Just pointing out zoning often has trouble with over stepping their own authority and many people just cave in. The look on their faces in that office when I read the exact exclusions, was priceless.
 
I did not have to do anything. The FAA shut them down. In my earlier post I said "Instant Crazy Ensued". They made threats to my safety. I said whoa now, You do know who you are talking to? They thought about it for a second or two and beat a hasty for the fence line.
I will not cause them any harm unless I am forced to do so.
 
Make sure you read their code book. My town has the same law but it excludes things like chimneys, flag staffs, radio and television antennas. Here they will intentionally mislead you by not reading the exclusions and only concerning themselves with the basic height limit. Going so far as to threaten fines until I purchased a copy of the code book they would not let me see.

Having that code book in my hand on my 4th visit to zoning allowed me to inform them the antenna would remain in place, no fines would be paid and their harassment based on misuse of their rules will end immediately. I'm not saying this is the case in your location. Just pointing out zoning often has trouble with over stepping their own authority and many people just cave in. The look on their faces in that office when I read the exact exclusions, was priceless.
Ya..but now your on their radar.
 
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