I ran into something vaguely similar in frustration level in two nearby towns.
Both of them start with declaring that the city has sufficient competitive communications infrastructure and that the purpose of the regulations are to prevent further "unsightly development". It defines anything with an antenna on it as a "tower" and limits all antenna heights to under 30 feet from the ground. Further, it prohibits all "commercial" communications equipment from being placed anywhere except attached to a commercially zoned building. Further, it defines all data paths, be it wireless, wired, above, or below ground, to be the property of the city, and you will pay a tax for the use of them, if you are a commercial enterprise. They actually intended to prevent CPE antennas, but I explained that OTARD would supercede them. Basically, if you want ot put an access point anywhere in the city, where people connect to it for pay, you must get a permit, and that permit is subject to an engineering review, obtained by the city at your expense, and that permits are subject to a city council meeting, where any objection from anyone will be cause to turn you down. Further, you're expected to pay a fee "per block" for use of the city's "data paths". I attended the city council meeting before they voted on this and explained to them that this is just squashing business. Anyway, they passed it despite objection because there was a small group of citizens who saw this as the key to preventing cellular towers from being built within the city limits. So, rather than building the towers in town, they built the towers just outside the edge of town, right on the view horizons! The towers built at the edge of town are far more unsightly than what was to be built in town. I have been requested repeatedly to move into both towns and deploy within the city limits, as there's no competitive wireless service in town, but it would be pointless. Each has one employee of a competitor and they need merely say "I object" and nothing I can do will ever permit me to build... not to mention, the fees required just to get to point where I can request and be turned down are around $2000 to the city. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ <insert witty tagline here> ----- Original Message ----- From: "Travis Johnson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: "WISPA General List" <wireless@wispa.org> Sent: Monday, July 28, 2008 7:43 AM Subject: [WISPA] OT: Property taxes > Hi, > > Taxation without representation? It sure seems that way to me. Anyone > else have similar experiences? > > Travis > Microserv > > > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > WISPA Wants You! Join today! > http://signup.wispa.org/ > -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- > > WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org > > Subscribe/Unsubscribe: > http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless > > Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wants You! Join today! http://signup.wispa.org/ -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- WISPA Wireless List: wireless@wispa.org Subscribe/Unsubscribe: http://lists.wispa.org/mailman/listinfo/wireless Archives: http://lists.wispa.org/pipermail/wireless/
