The City of Fort Collins, Colorado is Considering off-site Digital Billboards!
On February 19, 2019, the City of Fort Collins adopted a resolution to consider permitting electronic billboards. Scenic Colorado testified before the city council and argued against the Billboard Industry’s ‘bait and switch’ proposal. Scenic Colorado will continue to vehemently oppose ANY off-site electronic billboards in the upcoming weeks.
The Council directed city staff to present a proposed regulation that allows one digital billboard in the city in exchange for the removal of eight non-digital billboards (Bait and Switch). The staff is to issue the proposed regulation by September 3, 2019 after involving the public. The city council reserves the right to change the proposed regulation, including presumably the prohibition of a digital billboard. The resolution to explore this issue passed five to two.
Fort Collins allows digital signs only for on-premise applications. Off-premise signs or billboards are prohibited. Scenic Colorado raised many concerns about digital billboards, including the allowance of one electronic billboard would increase the probability of allowing additional ones. Additional concerns include sizes of signs, locations, brightness, measurement of brightness, face times, transition times, and nighttime operations.
The resolution passed by the city council did not address such matters as when non-digital signs would have to be replaced relative to the installation of the digital sign, whether the exchange is about structures or faces, the comparative square footage of the digital sign versus non-digital signs replaced, and how long term leases for non-digital signs would be addressed.
Many other jurisdictions in Colorado have chosen to prohibit new digital off-premise signs or billboards, while allowing on-premise electronic signs. These cities include Greeley, Lakewood, Colorado Springs, and Denver.
Please help Scenic Colorado in fighting this proposal!