Relevant Articles on Digital Billboards
The below articles provide an archived review of HUNI's advocacy efforts regarding Digital Billboards introduced to our community through the City County Council late in 2014. The fact that it was introduced during the holidays when the Billboard companies thought no one was paying attention only highlights our need for continued vigilance.
From a National View
Digital Billboards have a tremendous downside. Here are a few articles outlining their 'less than glowing' impact on our communities.
Arguments against digital billboards, pdf summary from our friends in Urbana, IL
Distracted Driving Stats, Articles and Information from SR22 Insurance website
Swedish Study Shows Digital Billboards Distract Drivers
Billboards Hamper Economic Growth
Digital Billboard affects Pennsylvania homeowners' Quality of Life
Huffington Post article on link between digital billboards and distracted driving (published Jan 19, 2015)
From a local view
2015 marked lengthy discussions and debates about Indy's Digital Divide. Here are a few of those articles.
Indianapolis Star "Digital Billboards under glare of ethics concerens in Indy" (February 17, 2015)
Advance Indiana "Star has finally done its job of reporting on Digital Shenanigans" (February 17, 2015) http://advanceindiana.blogspot.com/2015/02/star-finally-does-its-job-in-reporting.html?spref=fb
IBJ's IN ForeFront "Electronic Billboards: Process Doesn't Pass the Smell Taste" (February 3, 2015). Chime in on the discussion if you wish by using the article link!
Advance Indiana (January 26, 2015)
WCTY-16 Indy Government Channel, selected presenters (January 26, 2015)
WRTV-6 (January 26, 2015)
WISH-TV (January 26, 2015)
Indy Star reports on the digital divide Prop 250 is creating (published Jan 23, 2015)
The Indy Channel reports on the growing opposition to digital billboards by neighborhood groups (published Jan 24, 2015)
Digital Billboards in Indianapolis
The entries below give an archival review of HUNI's advocacy efforts regarding Digital Billboards introduced to our community through the City County Council late in 2014. The most recent updates appear first and progress in reverse chronological order.
Progress on Digital Billboards and City's Sign Ordinance Revisions
Starting in 2016, a blue-ribbon committee of community volunteers, business representatives and city officials met to discuss revisions to Indy's sign ordinance. They looked at best practices from peer cities around the country related to signage, particularly digital billboards. Among the issues this task force diligently focused upon are appropriate swap out rates (i.e. how many static billboards come down for every digital billboard erected), who is responsible for taking down the static billboards, and most importantly, where billboards are allowed and how illuminated they will be. We recognize digital billboards likely will continue to be a part of our visual landscape, but we must hold our city officials responsible for ensuring their addition minimizes the adverse effects on residential communities in close proximity. With HUNI's focus also on respectful replacement of our much-needed downtown interstate infrastructure, we want our website readers to be vigilant as well. We'll keep you up to date on this website and thru our social media--FB & Twitter accounts tagged @HUNIindy. We need to work together to keep our community safe, vibrant and strong in preserving its historic character and charm.
Full City County Council Approves Marion County Sign Ordinance; Bans Digital Billboards
Here's the latest update...as of February 25, 2019
February 25, 2019 The Indianapolis City Council unanimously voted to adopt the comprehensive Marion County Sign Ordinance with an amendment calling for a ban on digital billboards. Several dozen representatives on hand from neighborhoods across the county breathed a sigh of relief and high recognition and appreciation were given for the DMD Staff Shannon Norman and DMD Director Emily Mack for their overall work with overhauling the 40-year-old county sign regulations. HUNI extends appreciation to the grassroots movement from neighborhoods all around Indianapolis, and neighborhood advocates such as Norman Pace, Pat Andrews, David Hittle, Marjorie Kienle and Garry Chilluffo Ed Locke, Judith Essex, Pete Fisher among others. And a cheer to the Councilors who heard our voices. The IBJ sums up the vote here.
February 11, 2019 As one of the last items on the agenda, City County Councilor Zach Adamson proposed an amendment to the sign ordinance that would maintain the ban on digital billboards in Indianapolis. The full subcommittee unanimously passed this proposed modification to the revised sign ordinance. It will go before the full City County Council at its meeting on February 25 2019. Many thanks to the community residents who voiced their support, called/wrote their councilor and completed the online survey. Also many thanks to DMD Head Amy Mack and staff member Shannon Norman for their many hours of thoughtful work on this issue and to the City County Councilors who listened to their constitutents concerns. While some are disappointed that the City didn't get any billboards taken down through the effort, City residents didn't get any unwanted glowing, ever-changing driving distractions. The Billboard industry representatives will be back but for the near future, residents can sleep at night with no extra light pollution outside their windows. The IBJ recaps the meeting here.
On December 17, 2018 the Historic Urban Neighborhoods of Indianapolis took a position to stand with Neighborhoods all over Indianapolis in opposing the draft sign ordinance that will be introduced to the City-County Council’s Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee on February 11, AND, to support retaining the current ban on digital billboards as well as protecting personal data rights of Indy’s citizens. HUNI asked supporters to assist by taking and sharing with their neighbors a billboard survey, and reach out to those responsible for decision makers (council leadership, your councilor and the Mayor) and attending the February 11 Council subcommittee meeting.
On December 5 2018, the Metropolitan Development Commission unanimously passed the proposed Marion County Sign Ordinance on to the City County Council for either approving or revising. As it stands swap out rates are still 2-1, most of the area within I-465 is protected from digital billboards as are historic districts, neighborhoods, churches, and parks, the total quantity of digital billboards is limited to 58, and the Billboard Companies are responsible for taking down the unwanted static billboards that get 'swapped' for digital ones. Some see the digital billboard as inevitable. Some don't like visual blight at all. Some think allowing digitals in specific areas beyond the 465 beltway or in commercial corridors is alright. All are valid opinions based on personal preference. The IBJ provides an update on the current status and outlines how both sides see the current compromise contained in the proposed sign ordinance.
An important missing piece from the discussion is who is monitoring & regulating the data mining capabilities of these digital billboards as they collect information on those who pass by them? Let's be sure the community understands the impact of digital technology as it intersects with smart phone user profiles and real-time consumer marketing campaigns.
2018's Progress on Digital Billboards and City's Sign Ordinance Revisions
November 2018...Over the past two years, a blue-ribbon committee of community volunteers, business representatives and city officials have met to discuss revisions to Indy's sign ordinance. They continue to look at best practices from peer cities around the country related to signage, particularly digital billboards. Among the issues this task force diligently focuses upon are appropriate swap out rates (i.e. how many static billboards come down for every digital billboard erected), who is responsible for taking down the static billboards, and most importantly, where billboards are allowed and how illuminated they will be. We recognize digital billboards likely will continue to be a part of our visual landscape, but we must hold our city officials responsible for ensuring their addition minimizes the adverse effects on residential communities in close proximity. It looks like this conversation is heating up again, and with HUNI's focus on respectful replacement of our much-needed downtown interstate infrastructure, we want our website readers to be vigilant as well. We'll keep you up to date on this website and thru our social media--FB & Twitter accounts tagged @HUNIindy. We need to work together to keep our community safe, vibrant and strong in preserving its historic character and charm.
Summer 2018 public input ends on sign ordinance
Indy.civicomment.org
August 2018...The final draft of the sign ordinance finally was made public in August 2018. The Marion County Department of Metropolitan Development is soliciting community feedback. You can voice your feedback by logging onto a civic comment site called 'Indy.civicomment.org'. It is critical that you and your neighbors log on to this website and register your opinions. Click here for a flyer you can share with neighbors.
You can read the entire ordinance on this website. Some highlights of the current proposal call for the following: Takedown rate is two square feet of static billboard space will be taken down for each one square foot of a conversion to digital. The city will be responsible for the billboard removal with the idea that a third-party will reuse the scrap materials and not charge the city for their takedown. Setback distance for protected districts will be 600 feet. No digital billboards will be located within I-465. Our understanding is that since IHPC is a state-created entity, IHPC regulations take precedence over the Marion County Sign Ordinance but in any case, the ordinance requires a Certificate of Appropriateness from the Indianapolis Historic Preservation Commission for any applications within a historic district. The overall sign ordinance plan is extremely detailed with many good visual examples. The digital billboard section of the Proposed Sign ordinance starts on page 60. You will need to create a login and password to add comments, but the process is very easy.
HUNI is advocating NO new billboards and a takedown rate of static to digital billboards of at least 5 or 6 to 1 vs the currently proposed 2 to 1. Reinforce the positive and be sure to mention how extremely important it is to keep digital billboards from inside I-465. Public comment period ends Sept 4, 2018.
BZA Denies Variance Allowing New Digital BBs until After City's Sign Review is Completed
Summer 2016...Over the past two-and-one-half years, more than 60 Marion County neighborhoods came together to oppose digital billboards, until Indy Rezone has been completed and until Indianapolis city planners can take a comprehensive look at all sign ordinances, gather community input, review best practices from around the country, and propose what works best for our city and its residents. A discussion group began convening in August 2016 to discuss Indy Rezone. Participants include HUNI and other representatives involved in the neighborhood coalition fighting to give DMD city planners the opportunity to review digital billboards as it assesses Marion County's full signage ordinance.
Back on November 5, 2015, Indianapolis-Marion County Board of Zoning Appeals (BZA) denied a variance that would have allowed one billboard company to convert two static billboards (inside the I-465 beltway on Eastside and Westside) to digital billboards. Residents from HUNI neighborhoods, as well as other neighborhood across the city, sent emails to the BZA asking it to deny this request until after the Marion County sign ordinance is reviewed. BZA agreed.
For those following this issue nationwide, be sure to check out the following article about the moratorium of digital billboards in Reno, Nevada: City extends Moratorium on Electronic Billboards.
Council Committee Chooses to Postpone Vote on Digital Billboards until April 6, 2015 meeting...Huge Disappointment for Neighborhoods Across City
Editorial by HUNI Website Editorial Board Chair, Lorraine Vavul
January 26, 2015 Update--For those who were there until the bitter end (around 11pm), the hoped outcome -- i.e. allow the Department of Metropolitan Development planners to do their very capable work of revamping existing Marion County signage rules once Indy ReZone is complete -- was put off by a postponed Council subcommittee vote until April 6th. Instead, the bill's sponsor Mary Moriarty Adams asked Billboard companies to negotiate with neighborhoods on an acceptable mutual outcome. This ignores the fact that best group to engage in specific planning efforts on behalf of our citizens is the DMD. The outcome could have been worse, the Council subcommittee could have sent the existing draft of the ordinance to the full Council with the implicit recommendation that this is good enough to pass onto DMD for staff to review and edit as it finds fit. Problem is with the language so slanted to benefit one side, cobbling the ordinance together to get it acceptable for both sides is vastly more difficult. I trust DMD to start with a blank page, review the best practices across the country, get input from Billboard companies and city residents who have to live with the outcome and craft something which works for our city. I'm sure many will have an opinion, of which I will share links with our HUNI readers. The outcome resembled to me the quip of "putting lipstick on a pig." Allowing the ordinance language to be drafted by the industry it regulates, means you can pretty it up, but in the end, fundamentally you've started with a pig and you're going to end with a pig. Please encourage members of the Council to send DMD a blank piece of paper which can be used to write the sign ordinance that truly makes us the world class city we are.
Photo courtesy of Scenic America
Billboard Update -- January 1, 2015
As promised an update on the Billboard ordinance issue.
At the end of November 2014, public outcries from neighborhoods—based on calls, emails and conversations--were heard and were successful in getting the proposed billboard ordinance sent back to the City-County Council’s Economic Development Committee. (See article below for details.)
Just before Christmas, representatives from the billboard companies met with David Hittle (NESCO), Norm Pace (McANA—Marion County Association of Neighborhood Associations) and Marjorie Kienle (HUNI-Historic Urban Neighborhoods of Indianapolis). Councillor Mary Moriarty Adams, sponsor of the ordinance, was in attendance at the meeting. Of particular concern was the omission of a public process for this ordinance, so that Indianapolis citizens can express their concerns and/or support. Please contact your Neighborhood Association President or HUNI representative to learn specific next steps. It is possible that there will be a public forum giving citizens the ability to comment later in January. Please continue checking back with our HUNI site as developments unfold. (Note: We apologize in advance for the strong potential of short lead times to share information.)
Council Moves to Postpone Vote on Billboard Ordinances
November 29, 2014...The City-County Council has postponed the vote on the Billboard Ordinance originally scheduled for Monday, December 1st presumably in part due to the public pushback on the ordinance not having sufficient buy in from community residents. Here's a video link summarizing the uproar citizens have expressed based on the Billboard company's tactics.
On November 17th 2014--despite HUNI President Marjorie Kienle's passionate remarks at the City-County Council Committee meeting about why the residents of historic neighborhoods do not want billboards in their neighborhoods--the billboard ordinance passed out of committee with only two no votes from our forward-thinking, preservation-minded Councillors Jeff Miller and Vop Osili. Here's a link to one onlookers view along with several minutes of Marjorie's remarks on that day. We will keep up to date info on this HUNI website, alerting readers as to when the Council vote will occur.
On November 24th, 2014, Marjorie Kienle disseminated an email to HUNI reps encouraging them to share with their neighborhood associations possible next steps in fighting this ordinance from being accepted and thus allowing digital as well as additional static billboards over time. Click here if you'd like to know steps you can take including 1) sending a note to your and/or to all City County Councilors expressing your view on this issue; 2) attending the City County Council Meeting in which this ordinance will be re-scheduled to be heard. If you want to express your opinion of this ordinance, please go to the HUNI Facebook page and post your thoughts.
Prop 250--A Bad Deal for Indy
Here's a link to the very thoughtful and factually compelling presentation for the January 26 2015 Metropolitan & Economic Development Council Committee put together by the Coalition of Indianapolis Neighborhood Organizations.
Coaliton publishes News Release Outlining Points of Opposition to Proposal 250; List of Neighborhoods Fighting Against Prop 250 Grows
January 2015...The Coalition of Neighborhoods Opposed to City County Council Proposal 250 issued a news release on Friday, January 23, 2015 outline their points of opposition. Click here to read that news release. Click here to see the growing list of neighborhood groups opposing Proposal 250. Please check out the list of links with stories on this issue.
Residents of 28 neighborhoods gather to discuss views on City Council Proposal 250 allowing digital billboards thoughout City.
On January 7th, 2015, representatives from 28 Indy Neighborhood Associations gathered to discuss their feelings about City-Council Proposal 250 allowing the legalization of digital billboards throughout Indianapolis. In the end the following statement emerged: “The consensus position within our coalition is that both the proposed ordinance, and the path it’s traveled thus far, are unacceptable.” A letter was developed by the five organizations spearheading the opposition to Prop 250. Click here to read a brief recap of the meeting and what specifically you can do to oppose or support Prop 250.
Actions you can take include:
*Expressing your feelings by writing the Metropolitan & Economic Development Committee of the Council.
*Writing or calling your own City-County Councillor to express your feelings
*Attending the upcoming of the Council's Metropolitan and Economic Development Committee (MEDC) on January 26th, 5:30 PM in the Public Assembly Room (200 East Washington St). It is possible this meeting will change so please check back in late January for any updates.
Sign our Petition -- MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! NO LONGER ACTIVE
Since the requests of 50+ neighborhood organizations opposed to the billboard ordinance starting with the City Council's Metropolitan & Economic Development Committee and not the City's Planners at the Department of Metropolitan Development, the 'Coalition of Neighborhood Organizations Opposed to Prop 250' thought maybe a petition with hundreds and hundreds of signatures asking for this might resonate. Please sign our petition asking for the signage ordinance review to start with the DMD and not include prewritten language supplied by the Billboard Industry. Click here for a direct link to the petition or find it at: http://tinyurl.com/DropProp250. Share it with your friends, neighbors and family. If you tweet about it or share it on Facebook include: #DropProp250 so we can track it.
Journey to new sign ordinance starts in 2014 and concludes in 2019. 2022 State Legislative bill jeopardizes ordinance
Update from 2022
DIGITAL BILLBOARDS -- Please be aware of SB 142 initiative moving through 2022 Legislature threatening the Marion County Sign Ordinance
There is proposed state legislation to subvert existing regulations established to protect the scenery, culture and vehicular safety of our community. For many years, HUNI, alongside fellow neighborhood organizations, has served at the forefront of the fight to keep Indianapolis free of the clutter and vehicular safety concerns posed by too many billboards and any digital billboards.
Currently, before the State Legislature is SB 142, which would allow an exception to our Sign Ordinance for the County Fairgrounds, and usurp local control of zoning ordinances in Marion County. This disregards the widespread community effort put into our Sign Ordinance as well as disregards our City’s right to establish its own laws. This comes from an organization that each year gets $100,000 of taxpayer funds from the City budget. They are not a transparent group and yet the bill calls for them to simply hold a public hearing before signing a deal with a billboard company. There are no criteria for a decision and no way to appeal a decision.
Your help is needed and appreciated to turn back an attempt by the Marion County Fairgrounds Board to get a digital billboard on their site despite the ban on digital billboards in our Marion County sign Ordinance. Please help us by sending just one email copied to Representatives Dennis Zent, Mike Speedy, and Mitch Gore. For your convenience, a template containing a simple message that you can use for this communication is below.
EMAIL TEMPLATE
To: h51@iga.in.gov, h90@iga.in.gov, h89@iga.in.gov
Subject line: No to SB142
Message:
Representatives Zent, Speedy, and Gore,
I am a resident of Marion County, and I oppose SB142.
Sign your name and add your residential address