Shore Drive Community Coalition

New LED Billboard Ordinance

Read the 7 page ordinance.

“The company that wanted to erect digital billboards in the city has withdrawn its request”

At Pilotonline.com.

Update from Grace:

In a follow-up phone call with Councilman Jim Wood, we have some clarification on the http://www.sdcc.info billboard posting of this morning.  In point of fact, the company did not submit the request for the ordinance.  Councilman Harry Diezel introduced the request for the ordinance, and the company (Adams Outdoor) was merely the strongest, if not the only, supporter.
There has been a request from Adams to defer the vote indefinitely, but they cannot withdraw it, they can only request the deferral.  As of this moment, the item is still on City Council’s agenda for tomorrow, but it might not come to a vote. 

City Council to Vote March 30 on LED signs

City Council heard public comments Tuesday, March 23, on the issue of electronic display signs (monument style).  Two speakers asked that the City permit such signs and asked for an ordinance to be adopted which defines the parameters for such signs.  A number of speakers asked that Council concur with the City Manager, Jim Spore, who opposes electronic display signs.  Grace Moran, from the Shore Drive Community Coalition, spoke to the impact that such an ordinance would have on a mixed use area such as the Shore Drive Corridor.  She stated that if the City did not follow the recommendation of the City Manager, that Council should adopt the more stringent limitations of the Alternate version proposed by the Planning Commission and recommendations made by the Council subcommittee tasked with the wording of the ordinance.
City Council plans to vote on the issue March 30.
A copy of all versions of the proposed ordinance can be obtained upon request from grace@sdcc.info or by clicking on this file LED_Sign_Ordinance.pdf

City Council supports text only LED signs

From Pilotonline.com:

Under the new regulations drawn up by a City Council subcommittee, LEDs would be restricted to text.

Moving images would be prohibited. The messages could change every 30 seconds. Previous proposed rules had the time between messages, known as “dwell time,” at 5 seconds and one minute. The regulations would also limit the signs to two colors on a dark background.

Henley Regarding Electronic Signs

From Councilwoman Barbara Henley Regarding Electronic Signs

February 27, 2010
My understanding at this time is that the electronic billboard ordinance will be considered by the Planning Commission at the March 10 meeting.  The LED sign ordinance proposals were referred to a subcommittee of council for further comment, and it is expected that it will be brought back to Council on March 9.  Since it had been advertised for that day, that would be a good time for council to receive public comment, whether a vote is taken at that time or not.  It is very important that we have a complete hearing on both of these issues, and I do appreciate your community’s interest and involvement.

A comment on LED Billboards including links to how they complcate safe use of the roads

From an email:

Hi Grace,
Just saw your post about electronic billboards.  I have to drive down Great Neck Rd several times a week and truly do not appreciate the glare of the Wave Church’s new sign (especially when it’s an all white background with bright blue letters - it’s almost blinding).  If I recall correctly, the city of Virginia Beach at one point was trying to get Shore Drive named a scenic byway.  I’m not sure if they still are, but Scenic America is very much against the electronic billboard.  They’ve even prepared a downloadable power point to present to city officials.  Scenic Virginia is likewise against the signs.
I’m attaching some great links I found in 10 minutes of research:  Most importantly:  Electronic billboards attract attention and therefore distract drivers.  The number one cause of accidents is distraction and the number one cause of distraction is an outside person, object or event (like a digital sign).
Best of Luck,
Carol B.

http://www.scenic.org/billboards/digital - has a downloadable power point prepared for presentation to local zoning commissions
http://www.scenicvirginia.org/LEDbillboard.html
http://www.scenic.org/billboards/safety/
http://www.dailyherald.com/story/?id=233895

1.  [PPT] Regulating Digital Signs and Billboards (S606) Sponsored by Zoning ...

File Format: Microsoft Powerpoint - View as HTML
Apr 28, 2009 ... Video LED Billboards. Regulating Digital Signs and Billboards (S606) ... Research on Electronic/Video Signs and Traffic Safety ... Virginia Tech Transportation Institute Center for Automotive Safety Research. March 22. ...
law.wustl.edu/landuselaw/powerpoint/digital%20signs%20apa%202009.ppt

  2. [PPT] Animated Signs

File Format: Microsoft Powerpoint - View as HTML
LED & Video Display Signs: The Next Frontier for Sign Codes ... outdoor full color, full motion LED digital sign for higher speed roads around town, ... Virginia Tech Transportation Institute Center for Automotive Safety Research. ...
law.wustl.edu/landuselaw/.../Digital%20Signs%20Marya%20Morris.ppt - Similar

1.  [PDF] MEMORANDUM

File Format: PDF/Adobe Acrobat - Quick View
Oct 15, 2009 ... Noble noted that schools had LED signs that displayed many messages each .... Digital billboards have been the subject of much debate and research. ... and Gibbons, Virginia Tech Transportation Institute, for FOARE (2007). ... message signs will not enhance traffic safety and could increase crashes. ...
http://www.montgomerycountymd.gov/content/.../pdf/.../20091015_PHED2.pdf

Subcommittee reviewing LED ordinance March 9th, City Council Vote March 23rd

From an email:

Dear Ms. Moran

Thank you for your email sharing your views regarding the proposed ordinance regulating digital signs in our City.

We agree, this is an important issue.  City Council will be receiving the report of the subcommittee reviewing the ordinance amendments on March 9, 2010, and a vote is tentatively scheduled for March 23, 2010.  Please be assured your comments will be given serious consideration at that time.

The time you took to make us aware of your concerns is greatly appreciated.  Citizen input is vital in our decision-making process.

William D. Sessoms, Jr.
Mayor
City of Virginia Beach
Office of the Mayor
2401 Courthouse Drive, Building 1, Room 234
Virginia Beach, VA 23456
757-385-4581 (MAIN)
757-385-5699 (FAX)
wsessoms@vbgov.com

Did you know LED Billboards could be on the way for Shore Drive?

New Topic for site is LED Billboards.

Here’s the first comment posted there, from an email to Grace:

Dear Grace,
I live in Laurel Cove which is off of Great Neck Road.  Our neighborhood protested the LED sign that WAVE Church wanted to install some time ago.  Many of us from adjacent neighborhoods on Great Neck Road made our opposition to these unsightly and distracting signs known by attending a meeting in which a City Council member and someone from Zoning Dept.  were present.  They listened and , in essence, told us it had already been decided to allow WAVE Church to have their sign.  We were told that the church had threatened that if they were not allowed their large sign they had the right to put smaller LED signs at each of their four entrances.  All of this left many with the feeling that the church was not a “good neighbor” but a bully and our City Council was owned and operated by the business community here…including the Adams billboard company.  So - good luck with your opposition.  ...fight hard and fight to win.  Shore Drive has been stripped of so much of its unique beauty by zoning laws already I can only applaud your efforts. You may forward a copy of this e-mail to Virginia Beach City Council.
Joan U.

Previously - What do ya think of LED Billboards? We’re looking for your comments.

What do ya think of LED Billboards? We’re looking for your comments.

You can head down to City Council Chambers Monday for the Meeting, or, .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

From BAC:

Planning Commission Public Workshop on Electronic Display Billboards
Monday, February 22nd – 4:00 pm
City Council Chambers
The Planning Commission is holding a public workshop to take comments on the attached amendments drafted by their subcommittee. This alternate version differs from the version referred by City Council in the following ways:
1.    Requires that where an electronic display billboard is approved, all existing billboards on the zoning lot must be removed and at least 2 times the total sign area of the proposed digital billboard must be removed from other existing billboard sites.
2.    The sign area of any new electronic display billboard must be at least 2/3 smaller than the sign area of the billboard that it replaces.
3.    Allows electronic display billboards only where plainly visible from the main traveled way of an Interstate Highway, a National Highway System Highway or a federal-aid primary highway, as that system existed on June 1, 1991. In Virginia Beach, such roadways with existing billboards include Interstate 264, Shore Drive, and Northampton Boulevard.
4.    Increases dwell time to 30 seconds.
5.    Prohibits electronic display billboards within Strategic Growth Areas, as identified in the City’s Comprehensive Plan. 
6.    Requires any electronic display billboard visible from a residential or apartment district to go dark between 10:00 pm and 6:00 am.
7.      Reduces intensity to 5,000 candelas with a maximum of 500 candelas at night.
8.    Requires all digital billboards to be monopole construction.

Please forward this to anyone who might be interested. I am trying to get it widely circulated before the Monday workshop. Thanks!

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