Council considers billboard regulations

by Kevin Lilly
Pharos-Tribune staff writer

Fri, May 16 2008

— A local business owner appeared before the city council this week to express concerns over proposed billboard regulations.
“My sincere hope is that you vote against these proposed ideas on further restrictions regarding billboard advertising in our community,” said Dave Price, the owner of Priceless Banners.
Price opposed two ordinances that came before the council, one pertaining to billboard spacing along the Hoosier Heartland Corridor near the proposed Ivy Tech campus and the other requiring public approval before a billboard was erected in a properly zoned area.
In the end, the council gave preliminary approval to the spacing requirement but voted down the second measure.
Ordinance 2008-13 would quadruple the current spacing of billboards from 500 feet to 2,000 feet in the front door overlay district, which stretches along the Hoosier Heartland Corridor from the intersection of U.S. 35 and U.S. 24 to Ind. 29.
Price said he wanted Cass County small businesses to be able to promote their businesses on the highway. Increasing the distance between each billboard would take away an opportunity for businesses to compete, he said. He suggested doubling the current rule to 1,000 feet.
The council figured with the 2,000-foot rule, 16 signs could be placed in the front door overlay district. Council member Kerry Worthington calculated that with four different advertisers on each side of the two-sided billboards, that would be more than 100 customers.
Price responded by saying he would prefer larger, one-sided signs. The reason, “It’s hard to read two advertisements at the same time when you’re traveling 65 mph.”
Worthington described the situation as a catch 22. At 1,000 feet, Price and other outdoor advertising companies would still have the same amount of signs, which would still serve the same number of customers.
Mayor Mike Fincher joined the discussion. He brought up protecting the new Ivy Tech campus.
“Logansport and Cass County has spent a lot of time and effort bringing to this community an Ivy Tech campus,” Fincher said. “I just think it would be a shame to put billboards up in front of that brand new Ivy Tech campus.”
Worthington told Price that the council could pass the ordinance and change it later if demand went up.
Council President Scott Kraud said he was OK with the 2,000-foot limit. He said his main concern was motorists reading billboards rather than watching the road.
The council voted 5-2 to pass the ordinance. Council members Brannon Meagher and Charlie Hastings opposed the rule change. To be enacted, the ordinance must clear a second reading.
Price also opposed the extra hoop companies like his would have to jump through to erect a billboard under ordinance 2008-15. The measure contained a special exception clause that would have required property owners to notify neighbors before building a billboard, even in areas already zoned for billboard use.
“That would be tough,” said Price. “Property owners should be allowed to use their property as they see fit without any further rules and regulations placed on them.”
The council agreed with Price’s view and killed the ordinance with on a 7-0 vote.
The next city council meeting is 5:30 p.m. June 2.
Kevin Lilly can be reached at (574) 732-5117, or via e-mail at kevin.lilly@pharostribune.com