The City of Los Angeles has banned new billboards since 2002.  This week the Los Angeles Planning Department released a 110 page staff report recommending changes to the Los Angeles sign rules.  There will be a hearing on the proposed rules on February 25.

The proposed rules would:

• Allow a relocation of an existing sign to a new location in what the city calls the Tier 3 sign district.
• Permit the conversion of a static billboard to a digital billboard in what the city called the Tier 3 sign district
• Require a payment to the city or 9 square feet of billboard space to be taken down for every square foot of relocated billboard space or converted digital billboard space.
• The previous draft of the rules would allow billboards to be relocated or sited on public or private property within the Tier 3 district.  The planning staff report recommends that billboards only be relocated or sited on public property.

Insider’s take:  A 9:1 takedown ratio is steep and discriminates against the small independent out of home companies.  Will be interesting to see what sort of fees the city wants in lieu of the takedown requirement.  Los Angeles also seems to be saying billboard relocations and new digital signs are OK as long as they go on city property and the city captures the economic benefits.  Insider wouldn’t be happy if he owned property in the city.  Imagine the outcry if the Los Angeles said new stores and store relocations are only permitted on city property…

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