Torrance : Antenna Limit Withdrawn

Several hundred ham radio operators, fearful that the City Council would restrict antennas to a height of no more than six feet above roofs, came to the council meeting this week only to find that the city attorney had withdrawn the proposed ordinance.

The issue arose when City Atty. Stanley Remelmeyer interpreted a ruling by the Federal Communications Commission to mean that any local ordinance restricting satellite dishes must apply to all antennas. The proposed ordinance was a response to complaints about unsightly satellite dishes.

Fred Kemper, a ham operator and former federal communications official, told the council that the FCC ruling applies only to antennas for “common carrier” signals, such as television or commercial communications links, not to ham radio antennas.

The council directed Remelmeyer to meet with representatives of the ham operators to discuss the issue.