Tonight’s council agenda includes a request to allow an electronic billboard at Knoxville and Pennsylvania avenues, right by the Knoxville/I-74 interchange (note that the address for the billboard is given as Linn St.; that’s because access to the billboard is from Linn, one block west of Knoxville):
(08-418) Communication from the Interim City Manager and Director of Planning and Growth Management Requesting the Following:
A. Receive and File the SUPPLEMENTAL INFORMATION.
B. Take Action on Request to Adopt an ORDINANCE Amending Ordinance No. 16,072, an EXISTING SPECIAL USE in a Class CG (General Commercial) District for an OFF-PREMISE SIGN (Billboard) to Add an ELECTRONIC MULTIPLE MESSAGE DISPLAY for the EAST SIDE of the BILLBOARD for Property Located at 1418 N. LINN STREET;
OR
C. Concur with the Recommendation from the Zoning Commission to DENY the Request to Adopt an ORDINANCE Amending Ordinance No. 16,072, an EXISTING SPECIAL USE in a Class CG (General Commercial) District for an OFF-PREMISE SIGN (Billboard) to Add an ELECTRONIC MULTIPLE MESSAGE DISPLAY for the EAST SIDE of the BILLBOARD for Property Located at 1418 N. LINN STREET.
The staff and the zoning commission have both recommended denial of this request. The zoning commission’s recommendation was unanimous. Yet this item was deferred the first time it appeared on the council agenda, and now it appears with an additional option to approve.
It seems to me that if the council wanted to protect the city from gaudy electronic billboards, especially one that abuts single family homes and is, in fact, located too close to a residential neighborhood, they would have the perfect opportunity to do so here. Staff is opposed. Zoning commission is opposed. Council could vote it down with impunity.
But apparently someone is trying to get this through. I guess we’ll find out tonight who’s advocating for the outdoor advertisers. I have a feeling it’s going to be our second district council member.
Other communities are looking for ways to restrict these kinds of billboards. Four states — Maine, Vermont, Hawaii and Alaska — have banned billboards altogether. The reason is that they clutter public spaces and hide the natural beauty of our cities and transportation corridors. There’s even a non-profit group called Scenic America that is “dedicated solely to preserving and enhancing the visual character of America’s communities and countryside.” That means they advocate for billboard restrictions. Here’s a video essay they put together on YouTube:
It does make you wonder, as these LED billboards become more and more prominent in Peoria, how long it will be before driving down University or Knoxville is going to look like driving down Las Vegas boulevard. We need to start thinking about this now, before it’s too late.
And the council needs to vote down this electronic billboard. There’s no compelling reason to allow it.
UPDATE: Before anyone points it out to me, I’m aware that we have a sign ordinance that does regulate electronic billboards, as well as the placement and spacing of signs in general. But as we’ve learned from the Land Development Code, the ordinance is only as good as its enforcement. We have to be careful about where and why and how we make exceptions. We’ve already made an exception with this billboard by allowing it to be significantly closer to a residential neighborhood than is normally allowed. We might also want to consider whether the existing ordinance is strict enough.
Hmmm. But billboards are always classy (to be read with sarcasm).
One complaint I have about these is that they are almost blindingly bright at night and therefore very distracting.
“…they clutter public spaces and hide the natural beauty of our cities and transportation corridors.”
– Peoria has this?
Come on people! Its not like they are sticking one on Grand View! Sure, I don’t want to look like Las Vegas [let East Peoria do that], but lets not discount the ‘cool’ factor. A little ‘big-city’ pizzaz couldn’t hurt.
Ever been to Hilton Head Island? I’m sure many of you have and were impressed, as I was, that there were no billboards or 20ft tall McDonald signs.
DiscoverSouthCarolina.com: “No buildings can be higher than the trees and there are no billboards on the island”
We may not be Hilton Head, but we have to start somewhere. It’s about time that we as a city start following the zoning that was approved, otherwise, why did we approve it in the first place?
Yeah, we sure wouldn’t want to detract from the “beauty” of Knoxville at Pennsylvania, would we? And as for us not being Hilton Head… geez, we are so far from Hilton Head that we might as well be on Io.
Just like when Lady Bird got all of those nasty billboards off of the highways… so that we could count the tumbleweeds in eastern Texas.
Yeah, “natural beauty” is a nice thing… but, let’s not pretend that it’s anywhere near Knoxville and Pennsylvania, okay?
Prego Man — So you think the best policy for dealing with a blighted area is to invite more blight? It’s ugly, so make it uglier instead of trying to improve it? That’s some vision.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, Mr. Summers. I don’t know why you would think that an electronic billboard, costing many many thousands of dollars, and flashing ads of good looking female realtors be considered “blight.” How odd that you don’t find the Kellar Branch line is “blighted,” as it wastes away, falls apart, no traffic on it, etc. etc., and yet you find a brand spanking new electronic billboard to be “blight.”
I just don’t get it. At least the electronic billboard will be putting some ad money into the local economy, while the Kellar Branch…
Where is IDOT on this? Years ago IDOT tried to make a downtown financial institution remove their name from the building because it was distracting to motorist from I-74.
This “Linn street” signage seems to be adjacent to I-74?
Prego, I assume you already live next to a billboard or would like a billboard put up within 50 feet of where you live, yes?
C.J., let me put it this way: if I took it upon myself to buy property at or near Knoxville and Pennysylvania, or any other very busy intersection in this area; or any other busy damned street, route, or interstate; and that there were already a NUMBER of billboards along the damned road ALREADY; I might be thinking, “Well, another billboard being put up. That means that business is good around here.” Then, I might go about worrying about things that mattered: like cutting the lawn, keeping my job, relations with my family, blah blah blah.
Electronic billboards? Along Knoxville? And, you’re WRITING a blog against it? I still don’t get it.
But the upshot is that you wouldn’t, in fact, move next to a billboard. That’s the sentiment of most people with choices, I would venture to say. That depresses residential property values, which doesn’t help the area improve. And I think improving the city for all residents is one of those things that matter.
Talk about drama queens. I really find it laughable that this is actually an issue. I do not feel these LED billboards are gaudy at all. In fact, there is an innate beauty about them. They are a far more beautiful improvement over the old standard billboards. I think we need more of the LED boards to brighten up and beautify our streets.
Is there an outside chance that these electronic billboards, which flash multiple adds, would cut down on the number of billboards going up? See what I mean?
Tacky is as tacky does. Peoria is limited by the lack of sophistication in city leadership.
Check the council minutes from 12/19/06. This billboard is 140 ft from a rediential structure. Jacob, Sandberg, Spears, Van Auken, and Chairman Pro Tem Grayeb voted against “Motion to adopt an Ordinance granting a Special Use in a Class C-2 District for an off-premise sign (billboard)” The motion was defeated because of the 5-5 vote (Ardis was absent). So now two years later not only is it okay for it to become a billboard, but a the most obnoxious kind possible? What happened in those two years?
I forgot to say- loved the video- I hope your readers take the time to watch it…as we do need to open our eyes and ask what is happening to our hometown?
Recently at dinner people were lamenting that CAT is having a very hard time recruiting people to Peoria and that the hospitals are having difficulty too.
A friend’s son was just offered a job at CAT. His son graduated with an engineering degree from an elite University. Apparently, CAT wined and dined him and offered him a very nice contract. He turned them down because he does not want to live in the Peoria area, although he understands he would have a tremendous future at CAT. He told his father he would rather live in a nicer city even if it meant less money and less job prestige.
My friend called me and asked if Peoria was really that bad…I reluctantly had to say yes.
I told him that Peoria squanders opportunity- I used the Peoria Riverfront as my example. Peoria has so much potential and yet for some reason Peorians continue to elect or appoint people who do not know what they are doing. I also told him Peoria has a habit of ignoring good advice.
Could it be that Peoria’s leadership is handicapped, in part, because all they know is Peoria? How can we improve our city if the decision makers have never lived in a great place? Peoria has been going down hill for so long that if you are 100 years old or younger you likely have no memory of Peoria’s best days.
Peoria needs a shot of new blood. We need people in elected office who have lived in other cities, have traveled the world and who have the time to commit to excellence. How will Peoria ever improve if the current leadership has never known anything other than mediocre? What measurement or reference do they have? Why do we continue to elect people with the same profile?
Does anyone else see the flaw in thinking that somehow being born and raised in Peoria gives you the ability to make good decisions…I will say you are more likely to repeat the same mistakes. Isn’t this what we see year after year?
When I read comments on this blog that say we should be more like East Peoria I cringe. East Peoria as a measure of success- are you kidding me? I suppose if the only restaurant you have ever been to is an Applebee’s East Peoria is right up your alley. If the only store you have ever shopped in is a Wal-Mart- then East Peoria must seem first rate. If you believe entertainment can only be had in smelly dark places then East Peoria is for you. I would rather measure Peoria against first tier cities and try our best to emulate them. We could be a great little city- but not if our decision makers don’t know what they don’t know!
Beancounter,
What happened since 12/19/06 started first with “deal cutting” between district Council members prior to the Feb 2007 vote which was 10-1 to APPROVE the Special Use for the billboard. This “deal” was lead by Councilman Spears, Nichting, and Manning because they were running interference for OSF who feared the previous owner of Peoria Motors property where the previous billboard was placed (although no permits were EVER found to establish that it was built following City ordinances was going to somehow purchse the site of the old Hardees on east side of Knoxville and OSF didn’t want a billboard adjacent to their property.
Suddenly because of that type of “vote swapping”, the 5-5 tie became a 10-1 vote. Of course that vote was just for a “standard double faced billboard”. Before the billboard company finished most of the Special use requirements from the Feb 07 approval for landscapng, paving, and fencing, they install all the electical for the LED and then apply for the modification for an LED face on one side of the billboard.
The Second District Council representative has a lunch with the Billboard’s new manager who lives near CJ in the Uplands as well as Tim Berchey, the billboard’s new attorney and support is granted from the elected representative because, after all the location isn’t close to where she lives a mile and quarter up Linn St and there is only renters around that “end of Linn St.” She help “them” by requiring landlords to register their property once a year instead of once every three years or by putting a moretorium on new cash stores. Staff is appropriately directed to “run interference” for approval inspite of the billboard being used on one face, but not having the conditions met for the Feb 07 approval. Now if you beleive staff’s argument as the Second Dictrict representative has to to fulfill her paradym and earlier lunch approval that the Special Use allows for two years to complete, that also is flawed. The Special Use has two years to become established, but before the “certificate of use or occupancy” can be issued, the conditions have to be in place, baring weather. The billboard is clearly being used, but as of last week not only was the landscaping not present, but the City had NOT even reviewed the landscaping drawings. The drive was NOT paved and the fence NOT constructed. Ms Landes in offiscating the system to protect the intended desires of the District Councilperson has set the table that any Special Use can be opened for use without meeting the Special Use requirements for 2 years. Think about those situations that would allow a shopping center to open without any buffering or lanscaping or any other requirement of the Special Use.
Getting back to your point. The reason for the change was because OSF, a huge institution didn’t want the billboard on their side of Knoxville. The Spaulding Mafia united including the three previous and Ardis and Jacob, made their deals and swapped their votes and through the Special Use process, variances for distances to residential, access, and several other regulations were cleansed. NOT one variance would have been necessary or required, IF the billboard would have been erected on the old Hardees propert next to OSF.
The last and for me the most disgusting portion of the scenario is that instead of leasing the sign location, thru the “leadership of the initial three, the State of Illinois sold the landlocked site to the City who then sold the landlocked site to the billboard company, so now the billboard company no longer has to worry about losing the location. A scenario that at best was supposed to put the billboard company in same position after the I-74 modifications as before, has the location now owned by them and a flashing LED location.
The Maloof, Grieves, or Ransburg Councils could not have been so “productive” for Peoria’s future or as NON SUPPORTIVE of rebuilding our older neighborhoods for a middle class. This Council as those they replaced listen to the connected and wealthy, turn a blind eye to what had been Peoria’s greates asset, it’s middle class, and let the lower social economic class live in neighborhoods none of the COuncil that votes for things like this would live in.
And then they wonder why we have crime problems, litter problems and the need for cash stores.
New Voice — No. However, I found out from Director Landes last night that there is a cap on the number of billboards that can go up in Peoria, and we’re at that cap. So, anytime Adams or whomever wants to put up another billboard, an existing one has to come down. That’s positive.
I’d still like to see more restrictions on electronic billboards, however. See Scenic America’s PowerPoint presentation by clicking here.
Mr. Sandberg: your reference to the “Spalding Mafia” and conspiracy between certain council members is only indicative of your mean attitude which does not allow you to have meaningful discussions with your fellow elected officials. If being able to say you vote no to everything that comes along makes you feel good, then get the hell off the council and let a forward thinking person move this city along.
Sandberg for Mayor.
Wacko,
If you could receive a copy of the taped executive session dealing with the sale of property everything I stated would be validated. Beancounter wanted to know what happened between a 5-5 vote in December of 2006 and last night. You apparently do not want to know which is your right. I will leave the Council when the voters chose to elect someone else.
I don’t vote no on everything, just the items that are NOT deserving of a yes vote for those same voters that have elected me.
Gary Sandberg doesn’t vote no on all votes. He votes no when he feels that not enough information has been brought forward to make the issue complete or when he feels that others on the council have not researched the issue sufficiently. He merely wants the complete story on issues from front to back and not have to go back a year later and fix what they screwed up because they didn’t educate themselves on the issue at hand. Being a devil’s advocate is not a pretty position but somebody has to do it to hold the rest of the council’s feet to the fire and make sure they know what they are voting for. Too many act like sheep and just follow along. Also they are so busy talking amongst themselves during a meeting that they are not paying full attention to what is being said and voted on.
Equating electronic billboards with “big city pizzaz” and a “cool factor” is something that I can honestly say NEVER crossed my mind. I’m quite certain that those people living in vibrant, “cool” cities big AND small do NOT include electronic billboards when listing the things that make their cities great.
As for equating East Peoria with Las Vegas, I would have to say that is quite a stretch – and I am not a fan of Vegas. I just moved here from Chicago, and last night was the first time I think I had ever driven into Peoria on I-74 from the East at night. One of the things that struck me was how unattractive East Peoria looks compared to Peoria. I realize that it is a smaller city and can’t compete skyline wise, but they’ve done an even worse job of squandering their riverfront thus far. The WalMart and chain restaurants make the town look completely devoid of any character.
Like George understand the fascination with chain restaurants here. In Chicago proper, I alwys noticed a widespread sentiment that chains that can be found in places like Schaumburg and other far flung suburbs are worthy of disdain, not worship – and that it is the local places, whether they are swanky or much more modest places, that help make a city special.
I’m generalizing, and I’m not suggesting that all chains are bad, but coming from a neighborhood that was unhappy about their first Starbucks and apopletic about the second, the excitement over chains is new to me.
Sandberg for Mayor!!!
This council will continue to approve Enterprise Zones in growth areas, LED boards in neighborhoods, etc. until you the citizen start holding their foot to the fire. Call them and let them you are not happy when THEY continue to approve E/Z for corn fields and leds in older neighborhoods. Be short thoughtful, and educated. There is power in numbers.
Of course, it helps if the “numbers” make any sense.
Mr. Prego,
They make more sense than E/Z in growth areas. You must be a politico or a friend of one. Maybe one day you can live next to a lighted billboard.