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Belleair Bluffs tackles sneaky billboard business
By WAYNE AYERS
| Article published on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2005 |
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BELLEAIR BLUFFS – Unwanted billboards could become an addition to the Bluffs’ recently beautified landscape unless the city’s stringent sign ordinance is overhauled.
The warning about billboards was given by City Attorney Thomas Trask at Monday’s City Commission workshop.
Trask said that current law is unconstitutional and could leave the city prey to an unscrupulous company that is successfully using flawed city ordinances to force unwanted billboards on unsuspecting communities.
Trask said that the company buys small tracts of land in small towns then takes out billboard applications. When the applications are rejected, a lawsuit is filed. If the community’s sign ordinance is declared illegal, the applications must be approved. The company then sells the applications to billboard companies.
Trask cited as an example the city of Oldsmar, which he said is currently involved in a lawsuit after the suspect company filed nine billboard permits with the city. Oldsmar had previously had one billboard application in the past 20 years.
Trask said that the sign company is coming in and asking to put up billboards in any location where they can get a 7-foot by 7-foot site.
“That’s all they need to install,” Trask said. “The same thing could happen in Belleair Bluffs because your sign code is unconstitutional.”
Redrafting the city’s sign code will be expensive, Trask said, and he gave an estimated cost of $5,000 to $10,000.
“That is money well spent,” he said.
He went on to say that a revised sign ordinance will have to be “very, very specific” and that there will be a long list of sign types that will be prohibited and that a number of current signs will not be allowed.
Commissioner Robert Russo said that revision of the city’s sign ordinance had been on his agenda for the past six years.
“We need to get started now,” he said.
The commission plans to place the sign ordinance revision issue on the next regular meeting agenda. Public Works Director Robert David said after the meeting that the city’s attention to the matter would likely counter any move by the renegade company to bring their billboard wars to Belleair Bluffs.
In other business, the commission agreed to review the city’s rental property regulation ordinance after being informed that the Whitehall Apartments on Indian Rocks Road had been sold for condominiums. Mayor Chris Arbutine said that a growing shortage of hotel rooms on the beach could convince buyers in the complex to lease the units to short-term renters. Arbutine suggested that renters be required to reside in the same location for six months.
Commissioner David Shimkus questioned whether the city can restrict citizens from renting out their residences.
“Right now, nothing says that they can’t,” Commissioner Brett Nelson said, adding, “We need to look into that possibility.”
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Article published on Thursday, Nov. 17, 2005
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