The LA City Planning Commission will be meeting tomorrow to receive public comment regarding Metro’s proposed transportation communication network (TCN). This will be the final opportunity for you and other concerned citizens to make a public comment against the proposed Metro TCN, and stand in opposition to the proliferation of billboards and scenic blight in our community! Your participation tomorrow is vital. Comments may be made in-person or virtually. Date: Thursday, September 14, 2023 Time: 8:30 AM Pacific Time Join the meeting in person: Los Angeles City Hall Council Chamber Room 340 200 North Spring Street Los Angeles, CA 90012 Join the meeting virtually: Join by Zoom Meeting ID: 848 5633 1778 Passcode: 033507

VIEW MEETING AGENDA

To create a unified message of opposition, we have provided talking points which you can use in your in-person or virtual public comment. We thank you in advance for your assistance in putting a stop to this short-sighted proposal to bring billboard blight and visual pollution to our streets.   Sincerely, Scenic Los Angeles Scenic America

The Coalition for a Beautiful Los Angeles has this

 ACTION ALERT

DIGITAL BILLBOARD HEARING

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2023

The City Planning Commission (CPC) will consider the City Planning Recommendation Report (Report) tomorrow, including the proposed City Ordinances to implement Metro’s Transportation Communication Network (TCN) digital billboard advertising program to install 86 giant distracting digital billboards towering 30-100 feet over 10 Los Angeles freeways and a dozen City streets.

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The City Needs to Hear From You!

Submit comments to: cpc@lacity.org

cc: randall.winston@lacity.org and losangelesbeautiful@gmail.com

Post your comment to: City Council File 22-0392

In addition to written comments, it is very important that we have participation at the hearing so please plan to testify via zoom or in-person at City Hall, Room 340, Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 8:30 a.m. The details on how to testify can be viewed on the CPC agenda at: https://planning.lacity.org/dcpapi/meetings/document/75203

Join the meeting virtually:
Join by Zoom
Meeting ID: 848 5633 1778   /  Passcode: 033507

Feel free to adapt the following in your own words:

Reference subject: City Planning Commission Case: CPC-2022-5401-CA, CPC-2023-3653-ZC, ENV-2022-5286-EIR, and CF 22-0392

Dear President Millman and City Planning Commissioners:

I join the Coalition for a Beautiful Los Angeles in opposing the TCN program for the many reasons enumerated in their August 22 and September 5, 2023 comment letters and those further expressed in the Sepetmber 12, 2023 Daily News article describing public safety hazards associated with distracting digital billboards. 

In order to accommodate Metro’s TCN program, the City of Los Angeles is proposing to adopt three Ordinances, amend the Mobility Element of its General Plan, erect digital billboards in 22 Community Plan areas, override 16 Specific Plans, Supplemental Use Districts or other Overlays, revise the City’s 2002 Sign Ordinance and other Municipal Code provisions, ignore CPC recommended sign ordinance amendments (referred to as Version B+), and place its sign ban in jeopardy. I strongly oppose the TCN program and request that CPC reject the Department of City Planning Recommendation Report. 

However, if the CPC votes to recommend adoption of the Report despite overwhelming objections from the public, community and environmental organizations, and Neighborhood Councils, I request CPC adopt the following:

• 10:1 Takedown Ratio: Require, at a minimum, that every square foot of sign area of a new off-site digital sign (freeway-facing and non-freeway facing) be offset by a reduction of more than 10 square feet of existing off-site sign area.
  • Consistent with CPC’s recommended B+ version of the Sign Ordinance

• Hours of Operation: Digital displays shall only operate between the hours of 7:00 a.m. and 12:00 a.m. (not 5:00 a.m. per Recommendation Report).
  • Consistent with CPC’s recommended B+ version of the Sign Ordinance
  • Adjust to 7:00 a.m. – 10:00 p.m. if a digital sign impacts any residential uses
• Scenic Corridors: No off-site sign shall be located within 500 feet of the center line of a Scenic Corridor, Scenic Highway, Scenic Parkway or Scenic Route as designated on an adopted specific plan, community plan or adopted element of the General Plan.
  • Consistent with CPC’s recommended B+ version of the Sign Ordinance
  • Consistent with the Mobility Element of the City’s General Plan
  • Scenic Corridor/Parkway Specific Plans must supersede theTCN Ordinance

• Overlays: Existing Specific Plans, Supplemental Use Districts, Transit Corridor Plans and other planning Overlays must supersede the TCN Ordinance (not the other way around per Recommendation Report)
• Sensitive City Resources: Removal of all proposed digital signs that would be adjacent to or shine into sensitive areas, including, but not limited to:
  • Ballona Wetlands Ecological Reserve 
  • Sepulveda Basin Wildlife Reserve
  • Barnsdall Art Park
  • Mulholland Scenic Parkway
• Refresh Rate: One refresh rate every 20 seconds (not one refresh every eight seconds per Recommendation Report)
  • 20 second refresh rate as recommended by Illuminating Engineering Society Recommended Practice for Off-Roadway Sign Luminance

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Join us in speaking out to protect the environment and our public safety, 

AND help spread the word! 

 Numbers Count