City Council Modernizes Billboard Rules, Opens Door to Relocations

The City Council on Tuesday updated its current rules on billboards.

The council voted unanimously to approve the new rules, which allows both the city and advertising companies to submit requests to update, modernize or relocate billboards, subject to City Council approval.

According to city staff, the resolution came about after advertising company Lamar Advertising sent the city an unsolicited request asking to move and update several of its existing billboards throughout Riverside. The Economic Development Committee advanced the proposal in February, but the city's rules at the time did not allow advertising companies to submit such requests, prompting the amendment approved Tuesday.

Under rules adopted in 2005, new billboards were banned outright, while moving existing billboards was only possible if initiated by the city. Updates were possible but digital or electronic displays were not.

Under the newly-approved rules, new billboards are still banned, but advertising companies can make requests to relocate, replace or modernize existing billboards in an agreement with the city, with the City Council holding sole discretion over the terms of each agreement.

The city and the company would negotiate details of each agreement to determine the dimensions and type of billboard sign – including if the new sign may be static, digital, single-sided, double-sided, freeway-oriented or along major streets.

The city may also ask companies to take down a certain number of its existing billboards in exchange for permission to install new ones.

The council could also negotiate community benefits such as fixing up the site, adding public art, improving streets or sidewalks, giving the city some advertising space, charging yearly fees or sharing advertising revenue.

No members of the public commented.

"For me, this is more about giving us more control and modernizing the old billboards," said Councilmember Sean Mill.

Councilmember Chuck Condor called the new rules a "win-win" for the city.

"We're going to clean up some old stuff and [get] new stuff, and the city's going to get a benefit of funding out of this, but also we get time on the signs," Condor said.

By Micaela Ricaforte