Ottawa zoning proposal targets amateur radio

Ottawa, Canada, appears to be on the verge of almost outlawing Amateur Radio antennas.

A draft of a proposed new and comprehensive zoning bylaw
was finally posted on the city's website on May 26h, and Manotick Amateur Radio Group website says that there are three sections of it that specifically target amateur radio antennas. Amateur Rado Newsline's Bruce Tennant, K6PZW, has more:

The there are three sections of the proposal that the Manotick Amateur Radio Group says Ottawa hams have to be concerned about.

Section 55 deals with accessory uses, buildings and structures. It specifies minimum setbacks from lot lines for various structures such as wind turbines etc. but specifically states that it does not apply to accessory satellite dishes or accessory amateur radio antennae in residential zones. Those are to be regulated by section 120 and we will get to it in a moment..

Nest though is Section 64, dealing with permitted projections above the height limit, lists many items such as barns, silos, bridges, chimneys or smokes stacks, but specifically excludes satellite dish or amateur radio antenna accessory to a permitted use in a residential zone.

And that brings us to the previously mentioned Section 120. It deals with accessory satellite dish or accessory Amateur Radio antenna in residential zones and lays out the permitted conditions. A satellite dish greater than 1 meter in diameter or an Amateur Radio antenna may be located on a
building that is a minimum of 3 stories or 13.5 m in height. That's about 45 feet. It also precludes either type of antenna from being located in a yard adjacent to a public street.

The minimum setback from any lot line is 1.2 meters for the dish but for the antenna a distance of « the height above ground of the antenna, but no less than 3 meters. The setback applies to the tower, foundations etc. but excludes guy wires.

The maximum permitted for a ham antenna is the same height is the same as the maximum permitted height of the principal building. In many residential zones the limit is 11 meters.

And the kicker. A maximum of only one antenna will be permitted per city lot.

Bruce Tennant, K6PZW
Amateur Radio Newsline

It appears as if Ottawa hams will have to organize quickly if they want to beat back this one. More on this situation is on-line at
http://www.ve3rix.ca/forums/showthread.php?t=86

Source: Amateur Radio Newsline, www.ve3rix.ca, others

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