All
The intent of the revised ordnance is to limit all accessory structures in residential areas to maximum height of 24'. Towers and antennas not attached to the structure are permitted as Accessory Structures. The height is measured to the top of the mast, a beam would be at best 22-23' above ground.
This proposal will soon be presented to city and county planners. I have asked the facilitator of the advisory group to add my name to any planning meetings for this group. I will inform this group of NC and Federal statutes that they may be in violation of by not accmodating amateur radio antennas and towers.
If they proceed with the current proposal with out changes and present this to city and county planners and administrators the amateur community needs to be there for comments.
I should have meeting dates shortly.
Tim W4YN
-----Original Message-----
From: Bill Morine N2COP
Sent: Feb 24, 2011 11:42 AM
To: [email protected], [email protected], 'Ken Cannaday' , 'Jodie Rowland' , [email protected], 'Bill Turner' , 'George Fryer'
Cc: "'Henderson, Dan N1ND'" , "'Larry J. Ford'" , 'Ryan Cairnes' , [email protected], "'Bodson, Dennis (Dir, Roanoke)'" , [email protected], 'Tom Brown' , [email protected], [email protected], 'Paul Robinette'
Subject: Locals Hams need to work with Charlotte Mecklenburg Planning Commission.
Dear Charlotte/Mecklenburg Area Hams:
This is an open letter to all. Please share this email with constituent groups such as CDXA, MARS and Mecklenburg ARES – Bill N2COP
Bob Burton, N4PQX, brought to my attention that the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission is in the process of revising ordinances regarding height restrictions, including the possibility of tower structures. The timing of this project relative to Ryan Cairnes’ zoning hearing from this past Tuesday is purely coincidental. However, if you review the timeline in the hyperlink below, you will see that this effort is already underway and needs input from the Amateur Radio community as soon as possible.
If this rezoning effort were not taking place, the Amateur Radio community could wait for the court ruling from the appeal of Ryan Cairnes’ case, then meet with the Planning Commission to craft antenna friendly ordinances that accommodate the provisions of federal PRB-1 (FCC Part §97.15)and the 2007 North Carolina state antenna law (G.S. §160A-383.3). However, the train is leaving the station, and local Hams should begin a dialogue now with the Planning Commission’s Rezoning staff to begin crafting such ordinances. The contact point for this initiative from the Amateur Radio community cannot come from me or ARRL headquarters, but must come from those who will be directly impacted by these ordinances – the Hams who are residents of the City of Charlotte and Mecklenburg County . ARRL resources would be available to help guide you, but day-to-day responsibility would have to reside with a Charlotte-Mecklenburg Ham or Hams.
This exercise could become a two-step process. The first would be to help rezoning staff craft ordinances now, with the provision that if those revisions were still not compliant with PRB-1 and G.S. §160A-383.3 following the outcome of Ryan Cairnes’ appeal, then the ordinances would be forced to undergo a second or subsequent revision(s) by rezoning staff. Please keep in mind that not only would local Ham/Hams have to work with rezoning staff on the Planning Commission, but also have to work with City of Charlotte council members and Mecklenburg County commissioners in securing their votes to approve ham antenna friendly ordinances.
The need for a dedicated Ham or team of Hams within Mecklenburg County to shepherd this process is crucial. I would entertain appointing an ARRL Local Government Liaison (LGL) to be the point person for this effort. More information on the ARRL LGL program can be found at http://www.arrl.org/local-government-liaison
More information on the rezoning dept. within the Planning Commission can be found at: http://charmeck.org/city/charlotte/planning/Rezoning/Pages/Home.aspx and contact information at
For more information regarding the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Commission contact:
Zenia Duhaney
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Planning Department
600 East Fourth Street (8th Floor)
Charlotte , North Carolina 28202
(704)-336-8310
With 1,068 licensed Amateur Radio operators in Mecklenburg County, I hope a few will step forward to ensure that all Hams in the county will enjoy the opportunity going forward of reasonable antenna accommodation through a fair set of ordinances. I invite those who want to apply as a LGL or to serve on such an ad hoc team to contact me, or better yet, create a team among yourselves. A reminder: this will be a topic of discussion at the ARRL forum at the upcoming Charlotte Hamfest. Thanks to all for your concern and dedication.
73,
Bill Morine, N2COP
101 Windlass Drive Wilmington , NC 28409-2030
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