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No vote on Bloomington billboard removal until at least November

Electronic billboard by 37 and overpass

(Devan Ridgway, WFIU/WTIU News)

It could be another two months until Bloomington’s Plan Commission votes on a proposal to gradually remove billboards from the city.

On Monday, the group decided to postpone voting until its Nov. 6 meeting, at the earliest. It reached that decision after hearing extensive public comment against the petition.

Mayor John Hamilton wants to amend the city’s zoning code to remove the 47 billboards currently up by 2031. 

Hamilton has framed the issue largely around aesthetics, which Development Services Manager Jacqueline Scanlan acknowledged when introducing the petition to commissioners.

“I think it’s fair to say it’s part of a kind of larger beautification effort that this particular administration wanted to see,” Scanlan said. “I do think it’s very much wanting the city to be unique in a way where we are prioritizing the aesthetics of our natural beauty over something that may be slightly obsolete.”

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But several people uniformly spoke against the petition on Monday, saying it is unnecessary, will hurt business and may have potential legal ramifications.

Bloomington resident Thomas Landis was one of the first to speak. He questioned the petition’s usefulness.

“It seems arbitrary and a little silly to sunset a method of advertising that’s well-known (and) well-used in lots of different avenues,” Landis said. “There are times where you can cross a state line or boundary and you’re inundated with billboards, and it is distracting. It is distressing. I don’t have the sense that we have that issue here in this town.”

Representatives of the private sector, including realtor Juan Carlos Carrasquel, also opposed the petition.

“In my opinion, this is yet another attempt (by) this administration against property rights and to push an agenda without proper notification to the stakeholders,” Carrasquel said. “As a small business owner, I want to see more opportunities for me to communicate my message to the consumers … and this medium is a very effective one.”

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Some said removing billboards would harm social service organizations’ and nonprofits’ advertising abilities as well.

"Billboards are a very cost-effective form of advertising," said Mark Carmen. "I don't own a billboard. I don't use one. But I do believe they serve a good purpose. They're valuable."

Other speakers raised questions about the potential legal consequences of forcing billboard owners to remove their signs without compensation.

A few who said they own billboards around town said they were not notified of the effort and did not notice anything in the proposal about compensating owners for their loss.

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The commission also heard from attorney Alan Townsend, who represents billboard owner Lamar Outdoor Advertising. He said the City must compensate billboard owners before removing the signs, according to Indiana Code.

The City's Legal Department indicated it plans to research that topic.

Lamar owns most billboards in the city. That company is currently suing the City’s Board of Zoning Appeals over an electronic billboard near Kinser Pike next to the State Road 45/46 bypass.

Last year, Bloomington cited Lamar Advertising for allegedly violating the City’s regulations on billboards. That came after Lamar converted the billboard to an electronic display.

A hearing in the case is scheduled to take place in December.

Even if Lamar wins its case, it could still have to take the electronic billboard down if the billboard ban is adopted. 

Regardless of the Plan Commission’s vote, the Bloomington City Council must still vote on the proposal. It must do so within 90 days of certification of the commission’s recommendation; otherwise, the commission’s vote becomes binding.

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