City may use church for antenna after dropped cell phone calls

The city and AT&T are considering permanent placement of an antenna at St. Catherine of Siena Parish to help residents regain lost cell phone service after some disruptions in the past two months.

Initially, many thought the problem was caused by the recent removal of wireless antennas from atop the Artists’ Theater at Laguna Beach High School in July. But after a Sept. 2 council meeting, when the issue was discussed, it was discovered that an antenna on the Moorhead Reservoir was under repair and likely responsible for much of the dropped calls and spotty service.

City Manager John Pietig said Monday it was hard to determine how many customers were affected by each tower, because cell service antennas overlap areas of coverage.

The Moorhead antenna is now fully functional and complaints have fallen, Pietig said. Now, he said, is time to find a permanent home for the antenna, formerly placed at the high school.

St. Catherine was receptive to the idea of placing a new antenna inside the church’s existing tower. The 36-foot structure would be shielded from view, City Planner Scott Drapkin said.

The church, at 1042 Temple Terrace, is a “K”-rated structure, meaning it carries very good historical architectural integrity, according to the city’s website.

Drapkin submitted plans to city historian Jan Ostashay and is awaiting a response before determining the next steps.

In order to proceed, the antenna will need to be reviewed by the Planning Commission, Drapkin said.

St. Catherine’s is part of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange and any contracts must be approved by the bishop’s office, the Rev. Ken Schmit told the Coastline Pilot last month.