Council OKs Cell Phone Antenna Regulation Plan

A proposal to keep cellular phone antennas from sprouting like dandelions across the landscape was heartily embraced Tuesday by the Los Angeles City Council.

It was Councilwoman Cindy Miscikowski’s idea, but the plan to regulate antenna design and placement was promptly seconded by three other members, including Valley Councilman Mike Feuer.

All 14 council members approved the proposal, which directs the city attorney and several city agencies to draft standards for the antennas and the utility cabinets that house telecommunications gear.

The council put a six-month moratorium on permits for new utility cabinets, conduits and pole-mounted equipment unless exempted by the appropriate council district office or, in an emergency, by the Department of Public Works. The move gives each council district more discretion over such facilities in its area, said Linda Bernhardt, planning deputy for Miscikowski.

“The appearance of a community matters,” Feuer said, pointing to property values and other gauges of a winsome neighborhood. “People choose to locate in places where aesthetic values are given a priority.”

The city has already done some research on the antennas. In 1997 and 1998, the council’s Planning and Land Use Management Committee agreed to some guidelines, such as setting up a panel to review the design of antennas.

The council’s action pushes these efforts forward. City staff will now prepare specific regulations for the squat utility cabinets that shadow sidewalks and the arching antennas that have been compared to “huge, ugly metal weeds.” The council could then vote to adopt the standards.