Orange : Operator Dismantling His Two 72-Foot Towers

The two 72-foot antennas towering over ham radio operator Herbert Koch’s home and every other house on Rose Avenue are no more--stripped of metal and cables and, finally, brought down to earth.

Koch ended two years of feuding with his neighbors and the city by dismantling the antennas before the city hired someone to do it at his expense, which would have cost about $900. Although the work wasn’t completed by July 5--the deadline City Atty. Furman Roberts had set for Koch--an inspection by a city housing officer Tuesday afternoon confirmed that the towers were indeed coming down.

“It appears that Mr. Koch is finally making some progress,” said Roberts, who pointed out that another antenna on the property is less than 30 feet tall and therefore conforms to the terms of an emergency ordinance passed in May. He said a committee is studying the issue of antennas and satellite dishes in order to draw up a permanent ordinance.

Koch wouldn’t comment Tuesday, but he has argued before the City Council that the antennas are safe and could play a vital role during emergencies.

The council voted in February to allow Koch to retain his antennas because they were in place before the emergency ordinance limited such structures to 30 feet. However, when he didn’t comply with a condition that the towers be inspected by a civil engineer, the council declared them public nuisances and ordered their removal.