[BC] How close is too close?

[Mark Bulla]

Toward the end of last year, the land around the tower from which I 
transmit must have changed hands because they started building apartment 
buildings and/or townhouses on it.  The buildings weren't particularly 
close to the tower - that is until a couple of weeks ago.  They started 
putting up a building that is right around 300 feet from the base of the 
968 foot tower.  It's not my tower, but my antenna is the one on the top.

Being in Maryland, we have had occasions where pretty nice sized chunks 
of ice have fallen from the tower, and I'm concerned that some day we're 
going to end up getting sued for damage to the building and cars, or for 
someone getting killed by a chunk of ice (or for the 5 MW of RF power 
causing birth defects in someone's baby (yeah, I know that they are in a 
pretty low RF area, right below the tower, but a jury might not 
understand that...)).  I've been half-thinking of putting up a "rent/buy 
at your own risk, falling ice danger and high power RF in area" sign on 
the transmitter building so that people will see it out of their back 
window when they are looking at the apartments.

Anyone else have the same sort of issue?  Should I be concerned?

Mark
-- 
Mark D. Bulla - Chief Engineer
WNUV WB-54
2000 W 41st Street
Baltimore, MD  21211
t: 410-467-8854
f: 410-662-4886