HOUSTON CITY COUNCIL VOTE ON NEW BILLBOARDS SET FOR WEDNESDAY

From Deborah January-Bevers, Quality of Life Coalition

City Council is scheduled to vote next Wednesday, December 19, on a proposal that will allow the erection of 466 brand new metal billboards 42-feet high on highly trafficked thoroughfares throughout 90% of the city…in perpetuity. For 27 years, the City of Houston has upheld its strong sign code provision that prohibits construction of new billboards and provides for court-approved amortization and removal of many existing billboards. The result has been removal of thousands of billboards. Therefore, the construction of new billboards, whether by way of new permits, relocation, or upon any other basis, must be vehemently opposed.

This week, the Mayor and Council Member Pam Holm proposed an agreement to the Houston City Council that provides for Clear Channel to take down two-thirds of its small and medium-size billboards earlier than is required under the City’s current ordinance in 2009 and 2013 in exchange for granting Clear Channel the exclusive right to relocate and/or upgrade 466 medium-sized 42-foot tall billboards to almost any place in the City and to retain these billboards in perpetuity. A similar agreement was proposed by Mayor White and CM Holm in a draft ordinance that would allow other billboard owners to remove up to three small billboards in exchange for relocating one medium size billboard almost anywhere in the City. Again, these billboards would be allowed to remain at the relocated sites, certain to be more highly visible than existing locations, in perpetuity.

Action Request:

• Call the Mayor and your City Council Member and ask them to oppose the proposed agreement with the Clear Channel Billboard Company so that no new billboards will be erected, and
• Attend the Houston City Council’s public “pop-off” session, Tuesday, December 18th at 1:30 pm in the City Hall Chambers (2nd floor), and
• Attend the Houston City Council public hearing on the proposed agreement and ordinance on Wednesday, December 19th at 9 am in the City Hall Chambers (2nd floor).

Editor’s Note – this represents the view of this writer/group, not the CEC or any other member group.