I live in a deed restricted neighborhood where antennas require association approval. Recently our HOA elected a new president that seems to be "liberal" in terms of letting things being approved within reason. About six months ago I asked to put up a 55' tower with a HF yagi on a 24' boom. The main reply was to get 51% or greater approval from my same street neighbors, and I should have my request approved. That requirement did not come from the HOA directly, but from the community association managment company (CAM) that handles all the legal stuff for the HOA.
Well, I've about rapped up that 51% requirement and I should be submitting everything to the HOA and CAM within the next week or so. So I am asking my fellow HAMS to just keep their fingers crossed that everything will go smoothly. I hope thats not too naive of me, as I am hoping for the best.....
I wish you all the best. I will keep all of my fingers, toes, arms and legs crossed for you. It must be an anxious time. Just make sure you DO have approval before you buy the tower.
You are not alone. Here, in the UK, we suffer from the "Town and Country Planning Act" which means, in effect, we all live in a neighbourhood just like yours, its just that here it is a whole country!
You are already lucky! Here the tower, if you were allowed it at all, would have to be a cranking tower that could be lowered. Perhaps yours will do that. The planning committee (sounds like old USSR already, doesn't it?) is situated in each town hall and the exact requirements vary from town to town, but are governed in the final analysis by "The Act". God bless them, the planners try their best to bend to individual needs, but ultimately are limited in what they can approve by the rules. The RSGB (the UK Radio Society) has a whole department, staffed by volunteers of course, devoted to solving planning problems for radio amateurs.
I have heard of US zoning laws. I have always imagined that, in general, US inhabitants are not subject to the same degree of "nit pickery" that we are subjected to in the UK. You are supposed to be the "land of the free" and all that. Perhaps I am wrong. Perhaps other respondents may have similar sad tales of over regulation.
Again, the very best of luck.
73
John
G4ALA
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If you find something you cannot do, start doing it. Pretty soon you will find how you are doing some of it wrong and put that right. After a while, you will find you are doing it all right. Advice given to me by Lynn L. Augspurger in 1978
I know what they told you.
But even if you get approval from the HOA I am thinking that the HOA will be sued by someone who was not in that 51% approval that did not approve of their decision to let you put up the tower.
HOAs are just a pain in the rear for most hams.
There are few exceptions.
Good luck.
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73 de Ken
W7WV
ex KA6HRS, KD7NAA, W7KKK
US Army Radio Operator/Instructor (05B) 1966-72
Yes they used to teach and use CW in the Army
I wish you all the best because I feel the sort of pain you are in, I am in a similar situation. But unlike being told to get a majority, I took it upon myself to draw up a proposal with signatures from my neighbors as well as supplying photos of what the antenna (6BTV, not a 55' tower with yagi, I wish!) would look like from about 12 different spots. Thankfully all but one board member agreed to my proposal. That was over 2 years ago. Now, when there is a contest or something else I just email the management company and advise them I am raising a second (or third) antenna for a temporary period and they always replay have fun. So again, best of luck let us know what happens.
Hope it works out for you. I am totally against HOA, I don't feel anyone should be able to dictate what you do on your own property. Unless what you are doing in a threat to public safety or health. I could understand if folks had the Amazon Rain forest growing on their lawn or were testing the decomposition rates of multiple corpses, then I could see something like an HOA stepping in. But antennas, that is just bunk. All most HOAs are are groups of people wanting to get into their neighbors business and have some measure of control over them. What ever happened to "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness"? Liberty to do as we see fit with our own property as long as we don't bring harm to our neighbors, and the pursuit of happiness to enjoy what we love, be it hobbies or otherwise. I am surprised they don't have rules stating what you can and cannot do in the bedroom in HOA governed housing areas.
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Obi-wan "You were the chosen one. It was said you'd destroy the Sith, not join them. Bring balance to the Force, not leave it in darkness."
Talking to WIK, I would get involved to try and and promote change in the HOA. There is still a President opening in out HOA, but after having to meet with them a few times I really do not want to participate in an "us versus them" type forums. Since it seems that every time I go to the meetings home owners are doing all the yelling. Not a pretty situation. I would be doing this for MY benefit only because of my hobby.
The main advice I can think of right off hand is that, if humanly possible, you should get more than 51% support.
I strongly recommend that you get Fred Hoppengarten's book, entitled something like "Antenna Zoning for the Radio Amateur". It's expensive, but contains a lot of good advice. On the subject of getting letters from neighbors, he recommends having three types of letters ready for people to sign.
The first type of letter would be for those who are enthusiastic supporters. It's good to have some of them, but you probably can't count on getting a lot of them. The largest category is from those who don't have any objection, although they're not really supporters.
The final category is for those who do have some objection. For example, if you talk to one neighbor who is somewhat opposed to your tower, but not adamantly opposed, ask him why he objects. For example, let's say that he doesn't like the color of towers, but he likes purple, and would have less objection if you painted in purple.
From him, you can get a letter saying, "Mr. Ham has agreed that he will paint the tower purple, and I request that if the tower is erected, that it be purple." Or if you want a 50 foot tower, and the neighbor objects to tall things, then get a letter from him requesting that your tower be less than 60 feet.
I don't have the book in front of me, but I remember that Hoppengarten has an absolutely brilliant way that he worded this.
This way, the objecting neighbor feels like he has had some input into the process. When he's signing it, he feels like he's still making his objection--he's demanding a particular color or a maximum height. But he has also basically said that the tower is OK, as long as it meets his criteria. So even though he objected, you get to count him as one of your supporters!
Off the top of my head, I would say that the 51% requirement would be the bare minimum. I would shoot for 100%, even if some of those are lukewarm, or even have objections that can be dealt with. You'll probably still have holdouts, but 99% is better than 51%.
We appreciate your support.
Please keep your fingers crossed for me!!
Good Luck
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