Alderman goes after ‘tacky' satellite dishes on fronts of homes

Chicago homeowners and businesses would be prohibited from installing satellite dishes in front of their homes, under a crackdown proposed Wednesday to make the city look less “tacky.”

Ald. Ray Suarez (31st) said satellite dishes are popping up all over Chicago, and it’s getting ugly – literally.

“What we’re trying to accomplish is to get these dishes that look so nasty in front of the buildings – either put ‘em on the top of the building, on the side of the building or in the back of the building where they can receive reception, but not on the front of the property. They make the properties look very cheap,” said Suarez, who proposed the change at Wednesday’s City Council meeting.

“Installers are too lazy to figure out a way to put it where it’s less visible. I want to make them more responsible so the city looks attractive, instead of rundown. It looks very tacky. I’m getting a lot of complaints from people.”

Suarez stressed that existing satellite dishes installed in front of homes and businesses would not have to be yanked out. They would be grandfathered in. But, new dishes would have to be more tactfully installed – on the top of buildings, on the sides or in the back, but never in front.