Scoping a source of profit

June Casagrande

NEWPORT BEACH -- Like it or not, the city is probably destined to be

home to a lot of cellular antennas. What’s less certain, though, is

whether the city wants to profit from them.

That could get answered now that City Councilman John Heffernan has

asked the city to look into the question of whether the city should rent

space on its light poles and other structures for telecommunications

companies to place small cellular antennas.

“This could be a great revenue source, if it’s permissible healthwise

and otherwise,” Heffernan said. “We should be asking the question: Does

the city want to get into this business?”

Assistant City Manager Dave Kiff said any such arrangement would have

to meet city standards: The antennas would have to meet zoning codes,

they would have to visually blend into the surrounding area, and the

telecommunications company would have to submit a report showing the

antennas do not pose a health risk to people through radiation.

“Because the city owns so many properties across town, and we own the

street lights, piers, fire stations, etc., we get approached frequently

by those that work for the digital phone services -- companies hired to

find antenna sites,” Kiff said. “It can be fairly lucrative, but the city

doesn’t have a policy on whether or not to accept any of these, some of

these, none of these.”

The city’s telecommunications committee is taking on the issue, he

said.

The slim antennas used for most state-of-the-art cellular service

extend 20 to 35 feet high and can be attached to a variety of structures,

including light poles and buildings.

City officials cannot yet estimate the amount of revenue that could be

generated this way, but said the city could rent space to numerous

companies.

“The situation is, right now a company like AT&T; can either rent from

us or just go right across the street to the owner of a commercial or

private property,” Heffernan said. “So, no matter what, these antennas

are probably coming, the question is whether we want to profit from

them.”