Denver bans new LED billboards

[Kgirl]

Denver bans new LED billboards

By Christopher N. Osher

The Denver Post

The Denver City Council on Monday unanimously banned new LED billboards in the city.

Denver's three existing LED billboards will be allowed to continue to operate. Other brightly lit signs, such as those atop some downtown buildings, also will continue because they were allowed under separate zoning codes.

The move to ban new LED billboards, which are electronically operated, drew praise from several residents who said they didn't want the nuisance of the bright signs disturbing the scenery of the city.

But Mike Freeborg, an assistant division manager with Young Electric Sign Co., said the council went too far and should instead consider regulating the LED billboards.

The LED issue arose after city officials pushed for a tweak to laws regulating the city's 550 standard billboards, in order to avoid litigation.

The city and billboard firms had clashed over the status of 11 billboards the city contended were out of technical compliance with city laws. The firms threatened litigation and complained that the laws governing the use of billboards was confusing and not clear-cut.

City officials decided to push for amendments to the city laws that would allow those noncomplying billboards to remain, instead of fighting the companies. Since then, two of those billboards have come down because the city widened Federal Boulevard.

About 150 of the city's billboards are in areas considered nonconforming. A nonconforming status does not automatically mean a billboard must come down. Billboards in nonconforming areas can continue as long as they aren't modified beyond a change to the advertising face.

[nisakhan]

I agree with YESCO - perhaps the Denver City Council can reconsider their decision. Well-regulated LED billboards add valuable information and modernity to cities. The type of billboards built by YESCO and similar companies are praised by almost everyone I have talked with in various cities. (Ref: my ST EDS column, Oct.2009, page.44). OAAA can come to aid - their website is very comprehensive.

There are however many monochrome electronic message centers (not considered billboards) I have seen in front of shops, plazas, schools, and alike that appear too bright at night. These should be properly controlled electronically based on ambient light. Some LED traffic lights are also too bright. LEDs can be controlled for their brightness quite easily. Adding this feature will increase cost a bit - but it is worth it because you'll save energy and boards will be readable and attractive.

Nisa Khan

LED Lighting Technologies

[Brian]

Very well said.

[signdesignerlv]

I understand that these led billboards have made life much easier for sign companies as they do not have to go up on and change the large faces. But --- I live in Las Vegas and not only do we have digital billboards they are now cramming as many messages as they can on them. The first time I was traveling on the highway and the billboard changed messages I had to stop and take a double take!! I find them very distracting. Don't we have enough information overload on our roads both within the city and between cities and states?? There are a couple of billboards within the city that when stopped for a red light one begins to sit and look at the messages and not at the traffic light - has left me in an embarrassing situation when people start honking because I have not gone yet .

Just my thoughts as a consumer and not a company trying to make money!!