Building Permit BP 12322

1
Building Permit BP 12322

• Applicant Kenneth Claerbout
• Location Prentiss Township
• Penobscot County
• Property located along Tar Ridge Road.

2
Proposal

• Mr. Claerbout proposes to construct four Ham
  Radio Towers to operate an amateur ham radio
  station on his property in Prentiss Twp.
• Two towers 150 tall
• One tower 100 tall
• One tower 90 tall

3
Tower Specifics

• The towers will be triangular in shape with a
  zig-zag lattice configuration.
• The two 150 towers will be 24 wide
• The 90 and 100 towers will be 18 wide
• The two smaller towers
• 300 feet from Tar Ridge Road, 175 feet from prop.
  lines
• The two taller towers
• 500 feet from Tar Ridge Road, 175 feet from prop.
  lines

4
Conditions of Property

• Applicants lot is 42.5 acres
• Located near the top of Tar Ridge, which is the
  highest point in the area
• Densely vegetated, regenerating forest,
  characterized by 15-20 foot tall White Birch,
  with very few old growth trees.
• screening vegetation along Tar Ridge Road is
  30-40 foot tall

5
Conditions of Neighborhood

• Scattered residential dwellings
• 2 dwellings with ¼ mile of tower location
• Nearest dwelling is at least 500 feet from the
  tower location
• Lots are generally 20 acres in size or greater

6
Overhead of Topography

7
Tar Ridge Road
8
Driveway
9
Abutting Camp
10
Line of Sight
11
Review Criteria

• Under the provisions of 12 M.R.S.A. Section
  685-B,4,C, the Commission shall approve no
  application unless adequate provision has been
  made
• for fitting the proposal harmoniously into the
  existing natural environment
• assure there will be no undue adverse effect on
  existing uses, scenic character, and natural and
  historic resources in the area likely to be
  affected by the proposal.

12
Review Criteria

• Section 10.17,B,1,f,(3) allows maximum building
  heights to be exceeded for towers with the
  Commissions approval.

13
Review Comments

• LURC Planning Staff stated that the towers would
  not be very visible from major vantage points
  where views of such towers would be detrimental
• FCC (Federal Communications Commission) states
  that multiple towers may be required to access
  the wide range of frequencies available for
  amateur operators, and that local regulations
  must reasonably accommodate amateur
  communications.

14
Review Comments

• Penobscot County Commissioners have expressed no
  objections to the project
• The American Radio Relay League has stated that
  multiple tower systems at a variety of heights
  may be required due to the need to cover multiple
  frequencies, and that multiple tower
  configurations are not uncommon for amateur
  operators.

15
Public Comments Applicants Responses

• Four towers for amateur use seems fishy

16
Public Comments Applicants Responses

• Four towers for amateur use seems fishy
• The FCC and American Radio Relay League have both
  stated that multiple towers may be necessary to
  access multiple frequencies for amateur use.

17
Public Comments Applicants Responses

• Reduce Property Values

18
Public Comments Applicants Responses

• Reduce Property Values
• Mr. Claerbout has submitted information from
  other New England states that shows that property
  values did not decrease as a result of towers in
  the neighborhood.

19
Public Comments Applicants Responses

• Towers will be an Eye-sore, and do not fit in the
  rural neighborhood

20
Public Comments Applicants Responses

• Towers will be an Eye-sore, and do not fit in the
  rural neighborhood
• Scenic Impact will be greatly reduced by
• Screening vegetation
• Style and Type of Towers
• Land slopes away from the developed part of the
  neighborhood

21
Public Comments Applicants Responses

• Safety concern for neighborhood children

22
Public Comments Applicants Responses

• Safety concern for neighborhood children
• Anti-climb devices will be installed to prevent
  people from climbing the towers.

23
Public Comments Applicants Responses

• No need for towers for amateur use

24
Public Comments Applicants Responses

• No need for towers for amateur use
• Many types of uses for ham radio and your use
  determines the number and height of towers. Mr.
  Claerbout stated that he used the latest computer
  modeling to determine the optimum height and
  configuration of the towers.

25
Public Comments Applicants Responses

• Electronic Interference from Towers

26
Public Comments Applicants Responses

• Electronic Interference from towers
• The FCC regulates any interference that may occur
  from the towers.
• Mr. Claerbout is also required by his FCC license
  to comply with those regulations

27
Conclusions

• No undue adverse impact on the scenic character
• Rural nature of the neighborhood
• Existing screening vegetation
• Construction style, and size of the towers will
  reduce the scenic impact of the towers.
• Topography of the area surrounding the proposed
  tower location slopes away from the existing
  development, and thus will provide additional
  screening from the developed portion of the
  neighborhood.
• Distance from the road and neighbors homes

28
Staff Recommendation

• Approval of Building Permit BP 12322 for the
  construction of 4 Ham Radio Towers
• Two 150 tall
• One 100 tall
• One 90 tall