What is our community going to look like? When asked, not much
thought is given to billboards. Until now, and what better time to
address the issue of outdoor advertising.
After a Hollister resident came forward about placing 12
billboards along two of our major roadways leading into the city,
this request immediately opened the eyes of City Council, which
then imposed a 45-day moratorium on issuing permits for such
outdoor advertising. The time will allow officials to explore the
city’s sign ordinance and consider where the visual appeal of
Hollister is headed.
What is our community going to look like? When asked, not much thought is given to billboards. Until now, and what better time to address the issue of outdoor advertising.
After a Hollister resident came forward about placing 12 billboards along two of our major roadways leading into the city, this request immediately opened the eyes of City Council, which then imposed a 45-day moratorium on issuing permits for such outdoor advertising. The time will allow officials to explore the city’s sign ordinance and consider where the visual appeal of Hollister is headed.
We have to applaud Council for its quick action and concern over the issue of visual blight. The city’s sign ordinance hasn’t been updated since the mid-1980s and officials are in the process of updating the General Plan, which will include policies for community appearance and urban design.
Council has an important question to answer while pouring through all this: Will Hollister be remembered for its appealing views of the surrounding mountains or be thought of as tacky if gateways leading into the city are littered by a dozen or more billboards.
The answer seems straightforward. A billboard or two – currently Hollister has five signs of at least 24 feet by 48 feet – properly placed is not a problem. A problem arises when countless billboards affect public safety and the community’s aesthetics.
Community Development Director Bill Card told Council impacts from widespread billboard advertising could affect quality of life and distract some drivers, a safety concern. Also, billboards are an easy target for graffiti.
An outright ban on billboards hasn’t been discussed, but Alaska, Hawaii, Maine and Vermont have done away with them. And other areas, including Monterey County, have passed regulations that restrict the size of signs as long as there is another mode of speech.
In many communities, voters have signed petitions directing elected officials to ban billboards. The laws in place in those areas were from grass-roots efforts to set higher zoning standards to improve a community’s quality of life.
While city officials draft a policy on billboards, Council also must protect Hollister from visual blight.
To respond to this editorial or comment on this issue, please send or bring letters to Editor, Hollister Free Lance, 350 Sixth St., Hollister, Calif. 95023 or fax to 637-4104 or e-mail to
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