[SCCC] Los Angeles California - Conditional Use Permit

[Michael Tope]

I stopped by the Los Angeles City Department of
Building and Saftey planning office today to inquire
about applying for a tower permit. After a little bit of
running around, I ended up talking to a zoning engineer
who told me that I would probably need a conditional
use permit. When I asked him if that would be the
case even if the tower was shorter than the maximum
specified height for structures in that area (in this case
36'), he said that he needed to check his handbook.
After he thumbed through it a bit, he asked me what the
output power would be. At this point, I kind of "stepped
in it" and got obstinate with him, my inclination being
"none of your damn business".  I replied that local
government can't regulate transmitter power, that
that was regulated by the federal government. He
replied "do you mean to say that you are not going to
answer my question" at which point I replied "okay I
am allowed to run 1500 watts, but I don't always use
that much power".  He then slammed his book shut
and said you need a conditional use permit, go see
someone in planning to get the application forms. I
got the impression that my obstinance had really
pissed this guy off. Obviously this was not the place to
start playing amateur lawyer, but I hadn't had any lunch
a was getting kind of cranky. When I talked to the
planner, he told me that a conditional use permit was
required for the kind of "substantial" antenna that
I was inquiring about (I mentioned that I was an
amateur radio operator) even if it was shorter than
the maximum allowable height for my area.

Is this correct that any kind of outdoor ham radio
antenna installation in Los Angeles requires a
conditional use permit with the requisite notification
of all neighbors within a 500' radius and a public
hearing? Or is this just a case of me pissing
off a tired civil servant at the end of a log hard day?
And what if anything does output power have to do
with getting a building permit (that caught me off
guard)?

Thanks,

Mike, W4EF.............................................................