[K3CAL] Tower Permit Woes Out West

Sat Apr 3 15:05:21 EDT 2021

Be glad you don't live in LA County California.  Rant below off of the CrankupTiltoverTowers reflector at groups.io

OBTW.   Calvert was supposed to update their zoning ordinance. Back in 2016 I offered to help with the sections that apply to amateur radio towers in an attempt to avoid creating the environment this poor ham had to go through.  A quick peek at the current Zoning Ordinance shows no changes for the section that applies to us (Tower, Private/Not-for-Profit (Non-Commercial/Governmental) less than 75 feet in height).  Link https://ecode360.com/29297664Z

Probably time to poke them again.  What I can't find is any specifics of what hoops you have to go through for permits these days.  When I put up my tower back in 2013/2014 I got a building permit ($60.00) and an electrical permit ($50.00).  Building inspector came out to see the hole and rebar before the concrete pour.  Electrical inspector came out to verify the tower was grounded to the residence electrical ground.  Building inspector came out one more time to inspect the finished work.  Never looked up at the tower...just the concrete foundation.  That sure beats what you have to go through around LA and earthquake country.

N3AE

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Permit process for Los Angeles County - rant
From: Damon - KJ7E
Date: Fri, 02 Apr 2021 07:29:57 PDT

Feeling really down (but I will get over it and prevail). I going to document the process and costs associated with my tower project to this date. About a year ago I decided I was going to put up a tower at my home, it an unincorporated small mountain town in the norther outskirts of Los Angeles County. I had originally wanted a more modest 60' freestanding tower, but after reading the LA County Developmental codes I decided to go with a 70' crank up as it was explicitly allowed per the codes. A free standing tower would have been harder to get past Regional Planning and Zoning.

Step One: Contact Regional planing and Zoning, submit hand drawn site plans for the tower location, setbacks to roads and properly lines, provide tower info and height documents. This was the easy, only easy part. Got an approval recommendation letter in 4 days. $450

Step Two: Once I had the stamped Eng and Site Plan docs from the tower manufacture, in this case Tashjiann Towers for a DX70 I was instructed to submit a permit for a Fence Post (since this had a footing component). $450

Step Three: LA County Building and Safety refereed me to the LA County Public Works division of GeoMecalicalEngineeringDevision (GMED) since I live in a Fault Zone (which I do). GMED first needs another $450 before they will talk to me, and arguing with B&S didn't help, they wont issue a permit without GMED giving the OK. So I fork over another the $450, only for them to tell me I must submit a Soils Report addressing liquefaction , Seismic and other GeoTechnical data. B&S also informed me they would require the Soils Eng to stamp the site plans as well, apparently the PE stamp from the tower manufacture is not good enough, they want a second.

Step Four: After a few quotes to some GeoTechincal Firms in my area, I was very disheartened, some quotes up to $7500. Talking to GMED, trying to plead my case they were able to find a 2002 soils report done on my home when it was built, they send this to me. I was able to use this and have the report updated and stamped by a GeoTechnical firm, cost $1800. Oh, and the second stamp on the Site Plans, another $350.

Step Five: I summited the re-stamped site plans to B&S, they immediately asked for the soils report as well, sent, they Cleared my plans, all in the same day! But wait, there's more! Cleared Pending GMED review. I also sent the soils report to GMED, they also got back to me the same day, but this time with another bill, now they want $1200 to review my soils report, OMG. Nowhere, or at any time did anyone or was printed how much a PITA or expensive this was going to be. I'm okay with this as long as there is an end in sight, but the longer this goes on, I don't know when that will be? So I paid the $1200, hoping they accept and approve the Soils Report and make the recommendation to B&S so I can get the permit issues.

That's just to get to this point, as of yesterday. Its been a nearly a year long process, I have a book 4" thick of Eng stamped doc and reports and have spent more money on the permit than I every possibly imagined. In AZ, I put up a 72' freestanding tower for $68 (permit fee). Oh wait, once I get the permit, I have to have whats called an Official Observer to document and insure the project is built per the Site Plan notes. And since the concrete is specked at 3000 PSI, I have to have a Deputy Marshal on site for the pour and they have to take samples and test it. Those are both additional costs, but compared to the permit thus far, minimal and I'm not going to complain much there, wont do any good anyways.

In the end, its going to be the same hole, same size, same location before I started any of this permit process. I have some crazy folks that live near me, I am sure someone would complain to the county, not for eyesore, but other reasons, such as radiation or 5G concerns. So I feel I have to have a permit for my own protection.

Okay, now I feel better, rant off.
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