Whether it’s a larger-than-life, bikini-clad brunette grasping
an ice-cold bottle of Bud Light or phone company Verizon asking,
‘Can you hear me now?,’ Hollister’s officials are saying no to
commercial billboards towering above city streets.
Hollister – Whether it’s a larger-than-life, bikini-clad brunette grasping an ice-cold bottle of Bud Light or phone company Verizon asking, ‘Can you hear me now?,’ Hollister’s officials are saying no to commercial billboards towering above city streets.
The Hollister Planning Commission voted unanimously to recommend an ordinance be instated to permanently ban off-site billboards within the city limits. The City Council will take up the recommendation at its July 5 meeting, according to Planning Commissioner David Huboi.
Off-site billboards are signs advertising a product that are not located at the business’ location, he said.
“They’re unsightly,” Huboi said. “When you look at signs throughout the city, they’re usually in relation to an architectural component or with a neighborhood theme. (Commercial billboards) are not appropriate within the context of the city. Billboards don’t relate to anything but themselves.”
The Council adopted a temporary ordinance two years ago banning construction of new billboards, according to city attorney Elaine Cass. That ordinance expires in July.
“The idea is that advertising should take place on site where the business is located,” Cass said.
If the Council approves the permanent ordinance, it will not directly affect existing billboards, which will be grandfathered in.
However, the planning commission is working on developing a new sign ordinance within the city that if passed by the Council could require the current billboards be removed, she said. That proposal hasn’t been put on the Council agenda yet and won’t be for several months, Cass said.
And this ordinance will only regulate commercial speech on billboards – which are billboards advertising a certain product. A billboard that includes noncommercial speech, such as those with anti-smoking messages, will not be affected.
Hollister doesn’t have a significant
number of billboards, but the city doesn’t know exactly how many because no inventory has been conducted.
Hollister City Councilman Robert Scattini said the ordinance is part of a Council attempt to retain Hollister’s charm and small-town ambiance.
“I don’t feel the city should have a bunch of billboards plastered all over town,” he said. “It takes away the beauty of the city when its cluttered with billboards. We’re trying to keep Hollister like it used to be.”
While coincidental, the timing of the ordinance isn’t related to the Highway 25 bypass project that is in the works, which Huboi said could prompt billboard companies to erect more signs in the city. The bypass would reroute Highway 25 around downtown, which business owners hope will make the area more shopping-friendly.
“I think we need to take a stand now,” he said. “There’s no trend for new billboards, but unless we take a stand it could develop.”
While Huboi said the ordinance shouldn’t affect any local businesses, the planning commission made its recommendations without any feedback from the public. At its meeting earlier this month when the item was up for approval, not a single person was in attendance, he said.
However, anyone with an opinion on the subject will have the opportunity to have their say during a public comment period before the Council votes on the ordinance next month.
“Anyone can come to planning commission meetings. We encourage their input,” he said. “We’d like more participation from the community.”
Erin Musgrave covers public safety for the Free Lance. Reach her at 637-5566, ext. 336 or [email protected]
