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New Phila. billboard rules aim at reducing clutter

A bill passed by Philadelphia City Council on Thursday aims to improve regulation of city billboards, including a requirement that for every digital billboard built, two static signs must be torn down.

A bill passed by Philadelphia City Council on Thursday aims to improve regulation of city billboards, including a requirement that for every digital billboard built, two static signs must be torn down.

Sponsored by Councilman Bobby Henon, the bill was initially passed April 16 but was recalled April 30. The recall came in response to the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation's announcement that it would reassert its control of billboards in Philadelphia, in the interest of maintaining federal funding.

PennDot has said that the state risked losing 10 percent of its federal funding if outdoor advertising, including that in Philadelphia, is not controlled properly.

Henon said that in light of the bill's passing, he looked forward to collaborating with PennDot to enforce billboard regulations, which he expects to reduce visual clutter.

'Good message'

"I think PennDot's going to be cooperative in trying to work together on its enforcements," Henon said. "I don't believe that PennDot's intention is for it to fully be the enforcement of Philadelphia and non-accessory signs."

The bill sends "a good message to the commonwealth" that the city will take charge in regulating billboards in the best interest of Philadelphia's communities and outdoor advertisers, Henon said. The city's and PennDot's jurisdictions for regulation "are not totally resolved," Henon said, but he thinks there will be opportunities to address them over the summer. PennDot will continue to oversee regulation of billboards along state roadways, as specified by the Statewide Advertising Sign Act.

"Wherever there's conflict, the more restrictive regulations are going to take precedent over that," said Eric Horvath, a spokesman for Henon. Richard Kirkpatrick, a PennDot spokesman, confirmed Horvath's statement.

Jurisdiction

Kirkpatrick said the commonwealth had jurisdiction over all Philadelphia highways that are part of the National Highway System, but before sign owners are approved by the state, they must go through the city to be approved based on local ordinances, such as the new rules about digital billboards. With some exceptions, Kirkpatrick said, if a roadway is not part of the National Highway System, the city will have total control over billboard regulation.

Henon said he was relieved to see passage of the bill, which he had worked on for 31/2 years. He said that community leaders, such as Mary Tracy of Scenic Philadelphia, have had input into the bill's new regulations - such as the rule to reduce static signs as digital versions are added and limits on sign brightness - and as a result, billboards will become less intrusive.

Tracy has advocated for fewer billboards in neighborhoods, in the interest of beautifying communities.

Sign fees and newly set licensing fees are expected to bring in revenue for the city, Henon said, and cover administrative costs of regulation. The bill will hold sign owners responsible "in a regulatory way," he said.

"This is a step forward to regulations that make sense."