Westlake Village Keeps Ban on Satellite Dishes

Although neighboring cities have taken steps to loosen controls over backyard satellite dishes, Westlake Village will continue to prohibit them, planning officials said Thursday.

The Westlake Village City Council decided Wednesday night to retain zoning rules that ban satellite dishes after polling homeowners associations in the 5.4-square-mile city, city Planning Director Bob Theobold said.

Seven of the 12 associations responded in time for the council’s informal workshop-session review of the issue. They unanimously opposed any relaxation of the antenna ban, Theobold said.

Cities were authorized by a Jan. 14 Federal Communications Commission ruling to regulate receiver dish installations for “design and aesthetic reasons,” he said. The homeowners groups all have longstanding deed restrictions that prohibit outdoor antennas because of their appearance.

The Westlake Village action came 24 hours after officials in neighboring Thousand Oaks ordered city planners there to disregard such restrictions by homeowners groups when reviewing antenna installation requests. Thousand Oaks’ new, relaxed antenna policy will affect homeowners in that city’s Westlake Village section.

The City of Westlake Village’s other neighbor, Agoura Hills, eased its satellite dish rules in August, when the City Council dropped a requirement that homeowners obtain a conditional-use permit before erecting backyard receiver dishes.