Cudjoe Gardens Property Owners Assn., Inc.

New Tower Ordinance Emerges from Planning Commission

Aug 27, 2001

The Eiffel Tower (984?’) of Cudjoe (970?’) idea was toppled by the Monroe County Planning Commission in favor of a 199?’ height restriction with a 100% residential setback. Initially the restriction was to be 350?’ with a 30% setback, but the Commission bowed to a public outcry. The theory behind the 199?’ proposal was that it would eliminate the need for strobe lights mandated by the Federal Aviation Administration on towers above that height. However, the County?’s land-use plan requires lights. Planning Director Marlene Conaway said that the county doesn?’t need tall towers. Instead it requires more closely spaced and shorter towers.
It remains to be seen whether these shorter towers will be built with the same resistance to hurricanes and emergency electrical back-up that the original one planned. Other possible snags to the planned ordinance may come from the Federal Communications Commission.
?–Dave Musselman