Council Not Happy With Changes to Sign Ordinance

Members of the Brentwood Community Council expressed concern about possible changes to a proposed Los Angeles City ordinance that is supposed to restrict where commercial signs, or billboards, can be placed in the city.

"It seemed we had gotten our way regarding no signs in the parks," said John Given at Tuesday's community council meeting.

Given, who as a member of the council board reports on this specific issue to the rest of the membership, said that at the Monday hearing before the Planning and Land Use Management (PLUM) Committee of the Los Angeles City Council, significant changes were under consideration to the draft of the ordinance that would potentially allow billboards in city parks.

"It was very frustrating to see it turn in a matter of minutes," said Nancy Freedman, chair of the council board.

Both Freedman and Given had attended the hearing and want to keep the signs out of the parks.

Given said in an interview with Patch that the ordinance has been in the works for several years already, and if passed, will place specific limits on where billboards can be erected in the city by creating sign districts. Sign builders would also be required to take down older billboards when they erect new ones.

"The intent has been to reduce blight," Given said, adding that with the take-down clause in the ordinance, "the idea is a net reduction of billboards."

However, at the meeting, there was a request by the Los Angeles Zoo to create a sign district on the property, which is in Griffith Park and would not be eligible for such a district if the ordinance passes.

The PLUM Committee requested an ordinance that would allow signage at the Los Angeles Zoo, according to Monica Valencia, spokesperson for Councilmember Ed Reyes' office.

"Moreover, this same ordinance would allow signage at the City’s parks but under the condition that the park is part of a Special Use District (SUD)," Valencia wrote in an email to Patch. "In other words, the ordinance in and of itself does not allow signage at parks. This provision requiring an SUD would ensure greater community input and is very restrictive."

Currently, parks are allowed to post signs that advertise their own programs, such as the availability of tennis lessons at a park with tennis courts. But according to Given, the mayor's office has suggested opening up parks as sign districts.

"That's a dramatic change regarding what this ordinance is all about," Given said.

Both Given and Freedman pointed to the city's reported projected shortfall of over $70 million as the source of the change.

"The money grab for Los Angeles is so extreme," Freedman told Patch. "There's no forethought to this. It's just about now."

Pointing out the considerable public support for keeping commercial signage out of the parks, Freedman said that it seemed inappropriate to go against that just because the city needs money at this time.

Given said that it's not clear at the present time what will happen regarding the new language, whether the PLUM committee will incorporate it into the new ordinance or not, or even when the committee will decide what to do.

"We really don't know what's happening now," he said.