los angeles weighs trade-offs in billboard removal - outdoor electronic signs for businesses

When it comes to the problem of billboards, L. A.
It is not entirely known that there is a common action of it.
Twelve years ago, the City Council passed a law regulating outdoor signs, but it was in trouble because of legal challenges in the outdoor advertising industry.
Four years later, lawmakers backed an agreement to allow up to 840 digital billboards, but faced strong community opposition to how bright the billboards were and how close some were to home.
The deal was later canceled by a judge.
Now, after five years of deliberation, council members are weighing another set of billboard regulations.
The proposal will significantly reduce the location where new billboards can be installed in the "sign area.
But some neighborhood leaders believe the proposed regulations are too favorable for real estate developers and outdoor advertising companies.
One of the hottest issues is that new billboards are recommended only when other outdoor signs appear.
A key question: if the city allows new digital signs
Some people don't think they should.
In return, what should legislators ask? L. A.
The proposal, currently at the member's Jose Huizar Planning Committee, requires outdoor advertising companies to dismantle the city's approved "more than one" square foot existing signage for new billboards per square foot.
Dennis Hathaway, chairman of the Campaign to Ban Billboard wilting, thinks the city has set the threshold too low.
Hathaway said council members should ask for at least two square feet of old billboards to be removed every time a new square foot is approved.
If lawmakers decide to allow a new digital sign
It's more profitable for advertising companies, but it can also be more intrusive and distracting --
Hathaway believes that the proportion of withdrawals should increase to at least 8 to 1.
"They just gave up a golden opportunity to eliminate the massive epidemic in the community," Hathaway said . " Hathaway has been following the billboard problem for 10 years.
Huizar did not respond to the interview request, but said in the email
The mailing statement said he wanted to reduce the "common sense" rule for the total number of billboards.
His committee has taken steps to adjust
Some people say they poured the water.
The formula for removing signs proposed by urban planners.
In response to the legislator's request, city staff drafted language that would reduce the 50% Billboard demolition requirement for companies that agreed to provide "community benefits.
"These benefits include pavement repairs, new landscaping, better lighting or adding murals.
The regulation does not specify the minimum value of such improvements.
Billboards demolition projects can be found elsewhere, especially in Florida.
In Orlando, the logo company has to tear down four square feet of non-
Electronic billboards in exchange for a 1-square-foot license to install new digital signage.
In Tampa, 10 non-
When an electronic sign rises, the digital billboard must fall. And in St.
St. Petersburg, the sign company Clear Channel Outdoor has six digital signs rising near the highway in exchange for 83 non-
Electronic signs in other places
The agreement was given to St.
A small portion of Peterborough's sign income and 20-
This will require clear channels to renegotiate the terms.
"It's a lot of pressure to make sure we get [billboards]
"Not nearby," said Carl nurse, a member of the city.
"We think it could be fair trade.
"Long Beach has approved a regulation this year that, in some cases, requires 8-to-
Jeff winklake, the city's acting planning administrator, said 1 the formula for dismantling new digital billboards.
So far, the city has approved four digital billboards in exchange for the demolition of another 37, he said. In L. A.
Some say the benefits are not worth it, no matter how trade is --off.
On January, Reichmann, president of Assn, owner of Comstock Hills.
Last year, she said, inside and outside her West End community, her neighbors were very excited when the electronic logo was closed.
"We never want to see another digital billboard," she said . ".
In 2002, Los Angeles first proposed a cancellation agreement.
City councillor Cindy musokowski led the city's last major effort to regulate the growth of billboards.
Miscikowski initially wanted a strict ban on all new "closures"site" signs —
Billboards that advertise products elsewhere.
But in an effort to get through, she supports a decree banning the placement of new billboards throughout the city, with exceptions to those placed in new, specifically designated sign areas.
The idea is to remove billboards from residential areas, but allow them access to commercial and entertainment corridors, such as the streets around Staples Center in the city center.
Council members soon began to propose signage areas for a long section from a single lot to Wilshire Avenue.
Miscikoski said that the exception to the logo area became a loophole, "you can drive a Mike truck through.
"The planning officer now recommends that the Council reduce the number of locations that will be eligible for the marking area by 90%.
This will give the city about 20 locations.
City Center, South Korea city and Century City
As a potential Billboard area.
Clear Channel Outdoor says it prefers a demolition formula that can accommodate new digital billboards.
But it has resisted efforts to scale back where billboards are allowed.
Fiona Heton, a spokesman for the company, said that if city officials are interested in eliminating a large number of old billboards, they will need to provide more potential websites for new digital logos.
Ray Baker, vice president of advertising company Lamar Outdoor, said Billboard critics demanded 8-to-
1 The demolition formula of the new digital sign is "unreasonable ".
He predicts that billboard companies will not bother to use such programs.
"If the compromise is so bad that no one will participate, then what is the point of spending all the time and energy on compromise? " he asked.
Lamar tried with L. A.
Five years ago, the company proposed to dismantle its 4,000 billboard --
Many of them are the smallest in the city.
In exchange for a pack of new and non-digitaldigital signs.
Four years later, the company overturned the city's billboard regulations to the court, saying that the rules of the regulations were not balanced.
A judge has been on the side of the company, which is seeking to install at least 45 digital billboards throughout the city.
The case is currently on appeal.
As a result, efforts to regulate outdoor signs in the city may be hit again --
Numbers or other ways. david.
Zahniser @ latimes.