TITLE
Recommendation to declare ordinance amending and restating Chapter 21.54, related to billboards, read and adopted as read. (Citywide)
DISCUSSION
In December 2009, the City Council adopted an Ordinance initiating a one-year moratorium on the issuance of permits for the development of billboards (off-site advertising), "supergraphic" signs, and conversion of existing billboards to electronic billboards within the City. In December 2010, the City Council extended the moratorium for another year to allow staff more time to research and develop new, comprehensive regulations for billboards throughout the City. On October 20, 2011, the Planning Commission heard and recommended that the Council approve staff's proposed Ordinance, which would allow for the construction of electronic billboards in Long Beach in exchange for the removal of nonconforming billboards at specified ratios (referred to as a "cap-and-replace" program). The Council approved this Ordinance on December 6, 2011, but on the second reading on December 13, 2011, directed staff to remove all provisions relating to the permitting of electronic billboards and the cap-and-replace program. On March 6, 2012, the Council approved the revised Ordinance with a ban on electronic billboards and without the cap-and-replace program. This Ordinance was finalized on the second reading on March 13, 2012.
On October 8, 2013, City Council directed staff to return with a revised Billboard Ordinance, to include the electronic billboard provisions and the cap-and-replace program that were not adopted in December 2011. The Council also specified three provisions to be included in the revised Ordinance:
· A billboard company would have the ability to negotiate a development agreement if they can demonstrate that they cannot meet the cap-and-replace criteria set forth in the Ordinance.
· A billboard company would be required to provide an accurate inventory of their billboard locations as a condition of any development agreement.
· City staff would report to the City Council when the inventory of non-conforming billboards Citywide is depleted.
Staff has returned the revised Ordinance as directed. The revised Ordinance will allow for construction of electronic billboards, through the approval of a Conditional Use Permit only. When any new billboard is constructed or any existing billboard is converted to electronic, other nonconforming billboard inventory will be required to be permanently removed from within the City, according to the ratios specified in the Ordinance. These ratios are: 8:1 for a new electronic billboard, 6:1 for a new non-electronic ("static") billboard, 4:1 for conversion of an existing static billboard to electronic without expansion of area, and 8:1 for conversion of an existing static billboard to electronic with expansion of area. Once all nonconforming billboard inventory is removed from within the City, all ratios will convert to 1:1. This will maintain a continuous limit on the net maximum of billboard inventory in the City. In addition, staff has made several minor changes to the Ordinance as proposed which will make implementation of the regulations smoother.
Public hearing notices were distributed on December 19, 2013, and no responses have been received as of the date of preparation of this report.
In accordance with the Guidelines for Implementation of the California Environmental Quality Act, a Categorical Exemption (CE) was prepared for the proposed project (Exhibit A - CE-13-118).
This matter was reviewed by Assistant City Attorney Michael Mais on December 20, 2013, and by Budget Management Officer Victoria Bell on December 19, 2013.
SUGGESTED ACTION
Approve recommendation.
TIMING CONSIDERATIONS
If the Ordinance is not adopted, the existing billboard regulations, adopted in March 2012, will continue to apply.
FISCAL IMPACT
There is no fiscal or local job impact associated with this recommendation.
BODY
AN ORDINANCE OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF LONG BEACH AMENDING AND RESTATING CHAPTER 21.54, RELATED TO BILLBOARDS
Respectfully Submitted,
AMY J. BODEK, AICP
DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES
APPROVED:
PATRICK H. WEST
CITY MANAGER