Support for Sign Ordinance Version B+

Motion

Refers to City Council file 11-1705

The _________ Neighborhood Council fully supports Version B+ of the proposed sign ordinance as approved by the City Planning Commission on 10/22/2015, Council File 11-1705. We request the PLUM committee of the Los Angeles City Council adopt a version of the ordinance, which accomplishes the following goals that are important to the stakeholders of our community:

1. Disapproves any amnesty for existing billboards that lack permits or have been altered in violation of their permits
2. Disapproves the “grandfathering” of any sign districts that were not approved in the ordinance when it was reviewed by CPC in 2009.
3. Disapproves any new process, including a Conditional Use Permit process to authorize construction or operation of digital off-site signs outside of sign districts
4. Restricts any new off-site signs, including digital billboards, to sign districts in the 22 areas already zoned as Regional Commercial for high-intensity commercial use
5. Requires existing billboards to be taken down before any new off-site signs can go up in sign districts. The take down ratio of existing signs to new signs should be 5:1 for conventional and 10:1 for digital
6. Ban on new digital billboards or on conversion of existing billboards to digital
7. Request that the City Attorney review all signs without permits and those altered in violation of their permits for enforcement action and compliance.
8. Prohibits any off-site signage in city parks, recreation facilities and open spaces
9. Provides for stiff civil penalties with escalating penalties for erecting or maintaining illegal signs and for multiple or repeat offenses so that penalties are not viewed as a cost of doing business