this is sent for information only. tthe poster did well to address the
Law Reflector
------
>To: Multiple recipients of list ham-law <ham-law@altlaw.com>
>Sender: owner-ham-law@altlaw.com
>Reply-To: "The Ham Law Mailing List" <ham-law@altlaw.com>
To: <towertalk@contesting.com>
>Date: Tue, 22 Apr 1997 13:46:32 -0500
>From: Patrick Barkey <pbarkey@wp.bsu.edu>
>Subject: HL: Tower strategy needed
>
>Hello, I am new to this group. I need some advice before I get set to put
>up some towers. Here is my situation.
>
>I live in Delaware county, Indiana, on a 30 acre parcel in a sparsely
>populated area. (The whole county has 120,000 people. There's about
>2,000 people in my township). I want to put up at least three towers --
>160', 130' and 70'. They would all be setback 300-400 feet from proprety
>lines.
>
>The problem is that my county has a zoning ordinance that appears to
>prohibit my towers. How it does this, however, is quite odd.
>
>My land is zoned AG, and there are numerous cites in the ordinance that
>declare all "towers, silos, and other structures" to be exempt from the
>height restrictions that apply to buildings. So far, so good. However, in
>the definitional part of the ordinance, where it is spelling out the definition
>of structures, it says:
>
>"[Structures are defined to be ... ] Amateur radio antennae, provided they
>measure less than 70 feet from base to top" (quotes are rough, actual
>ordinance is at home).
>
>I am searching for a strategy that will enable me to put up my towers.
>Here's a few choices:
>
>[1] Non-compliance
>
>Just put the towers up. By all accounts, zoning enforcement in the
>county is non-existent. On the other hand, one irate neighbor could
>cause me a lot of trouble.
>
>[2] Illegality of ordinance
>
>Is an ordinance that limits only amateur radio towers (but not CB, not
>anything else) legal? This is beyond my expertise (read: I am not a
>lawyer). What is this groups thoughts about pursuing this?
>
>Also, a "strict" interpretation of the ordinance is that it simply says that
>Amateur radio towers of heights greater than 70 feet are not structures.
>
>[3] Put up a "TV" tower
>
>My reading of the 1996 Communications Act is that local jurisdictions
>cannot pre-empt my putting up an outdoor antenna to receive television.
>We are on a fringe area -- can I simply put up a TV antenna on each
>tower (along with lotsa yagis) and call them TV towers?
>
>[4] Pursue a variance
>
>This approach I do not want to do. I already went to the Board of Zoning
>Appeals once in this county, and I was turned down cold. The
>proceedings did not go forth in my name (it was conducted in the land
>holders name on a different piece of property I never did actually buy -- I
>made my purchase of the property contingent on getting a variance).
>
>I've poured the concrete and am almost ready to put up my 70 foot "legal"
>tower. But now I am thinking that I should hold off on that, since already
>having one tower up might make it harder to get whatever permission I
>need to put up the two more.
>
>What are this groups thoughts? Thanks in advance for any advice you
>might give.
>
> -- Pat
> N9RV
>
>_______________________________________________________
>The Ham-Law Mailing List. This list is for discussion and does not
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>
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>
>
Stu Greene WA2MOE
7537 North 28th Avenue
Phoenix, Arizona 85051 USA
wa2moe@doitnow.com
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