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HomeMy WebLinkAboutA002 - Report on billboard regulations dated November 17, 1995 r _s MOPLANNING & HOUSING DEPARTMENT E M CITY OF AMES TO: Mayor, City Council FROM: Department of Planning & Housing DATE: November 17, 1995 SUBJECT: Billboard Regulations INTRODUCTION. This report and accompanying slides will give a brief look at the different styles and sizes of billboards that are allowed in Ames. In addition, this report will look at strict billboard regulation in other communities and it will also give examples of possible regulation strategies for Ames. AMES. In Ames there are many billboards. Several of them are located near the downtown area. Table 1 , located at the rear of this report, gives several aspects of some billboards located in Ames, such as location, sign face dimensions and area, the approximate height of each structure, the design of each structure, whether or not it is lighted, and what company makes each sign. A slide presentation to accompany Table 1 will be presented at the Council meeting. WAYS TO REGULATE BILLBOARDS. Billboards can be regulated a number of ways. The two most common billboard regulation methods are use restrictions and size limitation. In addition, some communities have created other methods to regulate billboards, such as; setback requirements, height limitations, total number, and spacing. An examination of each of these methods follows. A main consideration is the appropriate location for new billboards. Use restrictions can be used to prohibit billboards in areas where they are undesirable to the community. Three basic considerations are: 1 . Only permitting billboards in industrial and commercial districts; 2. Prohibiting billboards along commercial strips; and 3. Permitting billboards only along freeways or major arterials. An example of the third consideration would be for a community to prohibit billboards in all zones, but would allow them to be located near a freeway or major arterial. Therefore, billboards could be limited to an "overlay zone" area, which may cut across some or all zoning districts if they parallel a particular roadway. Size limitation is another major way to regulate billboards. A community may wish to permit only smaller billboards. If this is the case, the 72 square foot "junior" billboard is a standard size that would be appropriate. Setback requirements are another form of regulations that could be used to control billboards. A minimum setback can be imposed on billboards regardless of the zoning district. Setback requirements for billboards could range from 25 to 75 feet. Height limitation is an important tool to control billboards. A shorter height, possibly as low as 25 feet, could be used where clear public benefits would be achieved. The height of the billboard has a lot to do with its degree of imposition on the landscape. If a community already has many billboards, it may want to put a cap on the existing number of billboards. For example, the community may simply ban all new billboards until two or more non-conforming billboards were removed and replaced with a single conforming billboard. Over time, the total number of billboards within the community would actually be reduced. Spacing could be used by itself as a billboard control, or in conjunction with other tools such as use restrictions. More restrictive spacing requirements could keep the community from appearing "cluttered". Table 2, located at the rear of this report, shows a comparison of five different communities and how they regulate billboards. Tables 3 and 4, also located at the rear of this report, give examples of possible regulations that Ames could adopt to regulate billboards within the community. Table 3 shows an example of strict use restrictions in Ames. The example ordinance in Table 3 limits billboards to P-1 and G-1 zoning districts and only within 350 feet of the right-of-way of Interstate 35 and U.S. Highway 30. While this ordinance is more restrictive on the location of billboards, it is less restrictive on other requirements such as size and setback. Table 4 is an example of an ordinance that restricts the size of billboards. This ordinance is less restrictive on the location of billboards (they would be allowed in all P-1 and G-1 zoning districts), however, it is much more restrictive on size, height, and setback than the example in Table 3. Both examples in Tables 3 and 4 would require a Special Use Permit to be issued before any billboards were erected in Ames. Also, Maps 1 and 2 show where billboards could be located with the corresponding ordinances in Tables 3 and 4. In addition to the methods listed in Table 2, other communities have adopted other "creative" methods which we should examine before determining what course of action to take for Ames. In Fort Collins, Colorado, no off-premises sign (except ideological or election signs) shall be constructed in any district. Also, no illumination shall be added to any off-premises sign already in existence. Fort Collins enacted this legislation in response to the incredible amount of billboards that had been within their city limits. Since the ordinance went into effect on February 25, 1994, Fort Collins has reduced the amount of off-premises signs in the city by more than 37 percent. Champaign, Illinois also has developed another strategy to control the size of billboards. In addition to limiting billboards to certain zones, they require a permit to be purchased in order to erect a billboard. The amount of the fee is determined by the size of the billboard. The larger the billboard, the bigger the fee. OPTIONS FOR AMES. In order to regulate billboards more effectively, Ames can enact stricter regulations in one of two ways. The first is to amend Chapter 5 of the Municipal Code, pertaining to signs, to include stricter regulations on off-premises advertising signs and billboards, as shown in the examples in Tables 3 and 4. Another option is to include off-premises advertising signs and billboards as a special use. Many of the ordinances reviewed by staff included off-premises advertising signs as special or conditional use. CONCLUSION. The first step in adopting a new sign ordinance is for staff to complete a billboard inventory. The inventory should include size, type, setback, spacing, height and number of all existing billboards within the community and within two (2) miles of the borders of the community. This will document existing billboards sufficiently to ensure that no new illegal billboards are improperly erected once new regulations are enacted. Next, Council needs to clearly identify the primary goals and objectives of billboard regulations for Ames. Some examples of goals and objectives are: 1 . The maintenance of traffic safety; 2. The reduction of visual pollution; 3. The preservation of views of natural landscapes; and 4. The protection of community character. ., After the goals are identified, Council needs to determine which methods they want to enact to govern billboards. Council could chose to use either one of the two example ordinances in Tables 3 and 4. Council may also want to use a combination of these two examples, or use different variations within them. Then, Council should direct staff to create an ordinance that will regulate billboards in the proper manner to achieve the goals and objectives of the Ames community. 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