On April 13, 2022 Cathedral City, California passed a new billboard ordinance which:

• forbids new billboards
• prevents the conversion of static to digital billboards
• makes all existing billboards legal non-conforming uses
• restricts cannabis ads on billboards within 1,000 feet of day care centers, schools, parks and the city library.

The staff report and proposed ordinance are at page 256 the April 13, 2022 Cathedral City Council Agenda packet.

Billboard Insider’s take:   A News Channel 3 article breathlessly announces that the ordinance phases out billboards in the city.  Good luck with that.    Although the city’s sign code arbitrarily declares that 2 years is a sufficient amortization period for a non-conforming sign, the city can count on expensive litigation with Lamar if it intends to go that route.  Tacoma, Washington tried to force amortization and ended up with a non-amortization settlement after a 20 year court fight.  And at the same time as it threatens amortization the sign ordinance permits and encourages a sign company to spend up to 25% of the replacement cost of its signs each year for maintenance.  The billboards aren’t coming down any time soon.

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