Senate bill SB-142 Threatens 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.