Saratoga News
News
Any way you slice it, ham antenna is legal, much to neighbor's dismay
By Jason Sweeney
Ham radio operator Kelly Johnson erected a 60-foot antenna on the roof of his house on Montepere Way. Johnson's antenna is allowed by federal and state laws and complies with city ordinances.
But while the antenna may be legal, neighbor Dan Williams across the street describes it as a "hideous structure."
"It's something I have to see every single day," Williams said. "It's plain ugly. If I had to sell my home, it probably reduces my home's value."
Complaints from Williams and nine other neighbors pushed the issue onto the city council's agenda at its May 3 meeting.
Johnson's ham radio antenna looks similar to the TV antennas that were common on rooftops before the era of cable TV, but Johnson's antenna is one on steroids. It is capable of communicating with fellow ham radio operators from as far away as Bangladesh and Burkina Faso, and Johnson may add capability to communicate with the International Space Station. If a massive earthquake were ever to knock out communications in the Bay Area, Johnson's ham radio could serve as an emergency communications center.
"I am an engineer by profession and use my station as an experimentation platform to advance the state of the art in electronics," Johnson said. "I have built some of my own radio equipment and antennas. In between emergency communications, public service and electronic experimentation, I spend most of my time involved in emergency training and skill-honing exercises.
"My system will be used first and foremost as an emergency communication hub in case of disaster. As an example, I helped someone in San Jose last year track down loved ones that were missing following Hurricane Katrina. I have battery backup capabilities and hope to soon add a gas generator capability."
In fact, because ham radios can provide emergency communications during natural and manmade disasters, the U.S. Congress passed a law that limited local agencies from enacting regulations governing amateur radio station facilities, including antennas.
Saratoga city code permits licensed amateur radio operators to erect antennas up to 65 feet in height. The code does place limitations on the location, height, installation, construction methodology, materials and visual impact of antennas. Johnson was within those limitations and given the OK by the city. Now that his antenna is up, he has the right to keep it up.
Because of the complaints from his neighbors, the city council decided on May 4 to begin issuing notices to surrounding neighbors when someone applies to erect a ham radio antenna. The notices would be similar to those issued for tree removal permits. But the council agreed its hands were tied by state and federal laws. The notices would be educational as no appeals would be accepted for aesthetic purposes.
"By sending notices like we do on a tree permit, it will give the neighbors information on what is allowed and what isn't," Councilwoman Kathleen King said.
According to Rob Vance, vice president of the Saratoga Amateur Radio Association, there are 301 licensed amateur radio operators in Saratoga. Between 20 to 30 belong to Vance's organization. He said it costs about $1,000 for a permit to erect an antenna. But he said antennas such as Johnson's are rare because of the expense and logistics involved in building one that size. "It represents a significant commitment to the hobby," he said.
Vance said complaints from neighbors about antennas are not uncommon. "I think the city council did the right thing to protect property owners' rights to put in antennas. It's important to educate the public about amateur radio and its public service. It shows the city is committed to emergency preparedness."
Williams, however, intends to continue his fight against Johnson's antenna.
