LA Sign Ordinance

March 18, 2011
Below is the statement CSA made to the Los Angeles Business Journal regarding the newly proposed amendments to the LA Sign Ordinance:

The California Sign Association is encouraged the City recognizes that now is not the time to make it harder to do business in Los Angeles.  Signage is the most cost-effective form of advertising for businesses, and reducing on-premise sign rights now would deal yet another blow to our ailing economy.  

This draft is a significant improvement over the proposed ordinance we saw two years ago, which could have slashed sign rights by up to seventy five percent.  However, we are working with the City on certain provisions that remain problematic for the business community.  
As an alternative to enacting stricter sign regulations, the California Sign Association has been collaborating with the City on a Sign Code Administration Program, which will raise money from the private sector to streamline permitting and enforce the current rules.  Councilman Cardenas introduced SCAP last fall, and City staff is currently exploring feasibility.

Update on Los Angeles
As of this writing, we have been successful in making progress toward resolving significant, permit process delays that have plagued the sign business for months. The city attorney effectively, but perhaps unintentionally, placed a hold on all sign permitting, which created an incredible logjam in the LA Building & Safety Department. After considerable effort by the CSA Task Force, and our coalition partners, headway was made toward resolving the problem. Also, a series of serious multi-hour, scheduled meetings are now finally occurring between the Task Force, coalition members and the Planning Department to review the proposed ordinance, including digital signage. Upcoming meetings will cover a proposed sign code administration program, temporary signs and on-premise language, illumination.

Sign Industry Under Attack!
CSA is committed to defending the sign industry against the restrictions proposed by the Los Angeles City Planning Commission. Here you will find the latest information we have in our fight against the proposed sign ordinance in LA.

Why Bother with LA?
Read the commentary on the LA Sign Ordinance by Jeff Aran, CSA Legal Counsel and Director of Government Affairs. [click here]

CSA’s Proposed Sign Ordinance Revisions
Click here to read our letter to the LA Planning Commission.     

LA Ordinance Updates

Member Update – 8/11/09 [click here]
Member Update – 8/07/09 [click here]--URGENT
Member Update – 6/01/09 [click here]
Member Update – 5/18/09 [click here]
Member Update – 5/13/09 [click here]
Member Update – 5/1/09 [click here]
Member Update – 4/16/09 [click here]
Member Update – 4/7/09 [click here]
Member Update – 3/24/09 [click here]
Member Update – 3/16/09 [click here]
Member Update – 3/11/09 [click here]
Member Update – 2/25/09 [click here]

CSA issues Member Alert
A Member Alert was released on January 30 asking CSA members to join us in a letter writing campaign to the City of Los Angeles Planning Commission, City Council and Mayor. Click here to see the Member Alert.

Your continued support is greatly appreciated
We have created a form letter template for your use/modification and to forward for your customer use, too. We would appreciate it if you would also send copies to the CSA office for our records.

Download a Word document version of the letter to LA. [click here]

LA City Planning Department Recommendation Report for the Proposed Sign Ordinance [click here to download PDF; 12MB, 121 pages]

LA Sign Ordinance Threatens Sign Industry
In response to LA’s proposed sign ordinance, CSA Government Affairs Director Jeff Aran wrote an article published in the February issue of Powerline entitled, “Digital Signs Under Attack!” that begins, “The Los Angeles City Council is considering adoption of a new sign ordinance which effectively eliminates the distinction between on- and off-premise signage, significantly reduces allowable square footages, and essentially bans digital signage.” To read the complete article, click here to download the PDF.

Reference Material/Links
Signage Matters February 2008: “Digital Displays: Just the Facts, Please” by Jeff Aran [click here to download]

See the excellent 3-minute video on the beneficial impact of signage in communities, Vital Signs – Vibrant Communities

Click here for an article by the Outdoor Advertising Association of America about the Facts and Myths of Digital Signage.

Chairman

Gus Navarro, President, San Pedro Electric Sign Company (SPESCO), CSA Board Member

Task Force Members

Skip Moore, Bill Moore & Associates – CSA Immediate Past President
Rocky Gruner, Daktronics, Inc. - CSA President
Ray Smith, Federal Heath Sign Company – CSA Past President and Board Member
Roy Flahive, CNP Signs & Graphics – CSA Past President, CSA Director Emeritus and ISA Board Member
Mark Gastineau, Arrow Sign Company – CSA 1st Vice President and CSA Government Affairs Committee
Terry Long, Ad Art Sign Company – CSA Past President and Director Emeritas
Teresa Young, SignBiz®, Inc. – CSA Board Member and Past ISA Board Chairwoman
Ed Wasserman, Daktronics, Inc. – CSA Board Member
David Hickey, ISA Government Relations Director
Mitch Chemers, PermitWiz Planning – CSA Board Member

Government Advocates

Vronica Perez, Holland & Knight

Staff

Jeff Aran, CSA Government Affairs Director
Brad Walker, CSA Executive Director

Mayor
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa | email
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St., Room 303
Los Angeles, CA 90012

City Council Members – All mail to Los Angeles City Council members can be addressed to:
Los Angeles City Council Member [NAME], District #__
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St. Room # [See Below]
Los Angeles, CA 90012

District 1:  Ed Reyes – Room 410 | email
District 2:  Paul Krekorian– Room 475 | email
District 3:  Dennis Zine – Room 450 | email
District 4:  Tom LaBonge – Room 480 | email
District 5:  Paul Koretz– Room 440 | email
District 6:  Tony Cardenas – Room 455 | email
District 7:  Richard Alarcón – Room 425 | Web page
District 8:  Bernard Parks – Room 460 | email
District 9:  Jan Perry – Room 420 | email
District 10:  Herb Wesson, Jr. – Room 430 | email
District 11:  Bill Rosendahl – Room 415 | email
District 12:  Greig Smith – Room 405 | email
District 13:  Eric Garcetti – Room 470 | email
District 14:  José Huizar – Room 465 | email
District 15:  Janice Hahn – Room 435 | email 

Planning Commission Members – All mail to Los Angeles City Planning Commissioners can be addressed to:

City of Los Angeles Planning Commission | email
Los Angeles City Hall
200 N. Spring St., Room 550
Los Angeles, CA 90012
            William Roschen
            Regina Freer
            Sean Burton
            Diego Cardoso
            Eric Holoman
            Fr. Spence Kesios
            Yolanda Orozco
            Barbara Romero
            Michael Woo