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Applicant Brian Curtis seeks special permit for backyard amateur radio antenna; board tables request
Summary
Brian Curtis asked the Bay Village Board of Zoning Appeals for a special permit and variance to install an amateur radio antenna up to about 40 feet. Board members raised wind-load and code-compliance questions, requested engineering and legal materials (including PRB‑1 guidance), and voted to table the application for further review.
Brian Curtis asked the Bay Village Board of Zoning Appeals on May 21 for a special permit and a variance to install an amateur radio antenna on his property at 29,443. Curtis told the board the antenna would be telescoping and that, for performance, "ideally, I'd like to put in another 50 feet ... however, I'm going to lower it to below 40 feet" to balance performance and neighborhood concerns.
Board members and staff focused on two technical and legal points: whether the proposed structure meets local wind-load requirements and whether federal guidance (often cited as PRB‑1) requires a municipality to accommodate amateur radio antennas. The building director cited Bay Village installation rules requiring structures and roof attachments to meet wind‑gust design values near 90 miles per hour; Curtis acknowledged the model he submitted was tested to about 85 mph and said, "This is not rated to that... Maybe. Probably. I don't know." The city attorney told the board the relevant code framework requires the applicant to demonstrate hardship or a practical difficulty for a variance, and that PRB‑1 may require reasonably accommodating amateur radio use but does not automatically nullify local code requirements.
The board asked Curtis to provide engineering documentation addressing the 90‑mph design standard, foundation/footing options that could reduce turnover risk, and any state or federal guidance he intends to rely on. Several members suggested researching precedent in Bay Village and nearby jurisdictions and asked Curtis to supply examples of existing residential antennas in Bay Village. After discussion the board voted to table the application to the June 4 meeting to allow the applicant to submit the requested documentation.
Action: Motion to table the special‑permit/variance application for the amateur radio antenna was made by a board member and seconded; the board carried the motion by roll call (votes recorded as affirmative in the meeting transcript).
