Orange Amends Limits on Cellular Antennas
Cellular telephone antennas may soon be sprouting from roofs of apartments and condominiums across the city--and earning money for the property owners.
The City Council voted this week to amend a zoning ordinance that had restricted the antennas to commercial and industrial zones.
The change is in response to complaints last month from property owners near those zones who said that, though they had to look at the antennas, they were not allowed to make any money themselves by renting roof space to cellular companies for their antenna towers.
Now, apartment and condominium owners may file for conditional use permits, which may be granted if the property is next to a freeway and within 100 feet of commercial and industrial zones.
The antennas must be erected on the portion of the residential property nearest the commercial zone, said Jack McGee, Community Development director. “Limiting the area where they are allowed . . . will certainly cut down on the proliferation of antennas,” he said.
Though council members approved the change, some expressed reservations.
“We worry about getting too many of these things because of the increasing market for them,” Councilman Mike Spurgeon said.
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