Billboards are light and visual pollution
Eugene City Council voted 4-2 to legalize electronic billboards in Sept. 2019 (while claiming to be concerned about energy use causing climate change)
If the City was serious about electronic pollution, it would have rejected electronic billboards. It could instead adopt guidelines from the International Dark Sky Association www.darksky.org that ensure outdoor lighting is pointed downwards, not upwards. Excessive light pollution harms astronomy (the reason DarkSky.org is based in Tucson, near observatories), awareness of the night sky, disrupts circadian rhythms of humans and other animals, and is a waste of energy for electricity.
We should not burn coal and natural gas - or even waste hydroelectricity - so that advertising can be lit up all night long. Hydroelectric and wind power should be reserved for more important tasks than this sort of crass commercialism. Motorists should be focused on driving safely, not reading fifty foot wide advertisements.
The cities of Salem and Springfield are already plagued by these new forms of involuntary television watching. It is not surprising that the City of Eugene declined to pre-empt this problem before it litters our landscapes.
- four options to prevent billboard light and visual pollution
- Sept 2019 City Council legalization of electric billboards
from 2006:
Former Mayors Jim Torrey and Brian Obie were in the billboard industry, and the landscape of Eugene suffers as a result. Late in Torrey's second term, a large billboard (then sporting Torrey's corporate logo at the bottom) was installed facing the Washington-Jefferson bridge off ramp. No citizen who crosses the river on I-105 into downtown is able to choose not to look at this eyesore.
Now that Eugene has a mayor (Kitty Piercy) not connected to what is euphemistically called the "outdoor advertising" industry, the City has the opportunity to prevent further uglification. Here are several suggestions for coping with this problem, in order of effectiveness.
1. Ban Billboards
The State of Vermont prohibits billboards, since their natural beauty is an important asset. The highway department allows small signs to provide public notices for upcoming shops is sufficient to indicate destinations for motorists.
2. Moratorium on more billboards
A less controversial, but less effective approach would be to ban further construction of more billboards -- we already have more than enough.
3. Ban lighting of billboards
It is absurd that non-renewable coal and natural gas are being burned so that billboards can be lit, forcing everyone to see their messages (whether you want to or not).
4. Dark Sky Association recommendations for lighting
The least intrusive restriction on billboards would be to mandate the guidelines from the International Dark Sky Association (www.darksky.org), a group of astronomers fighting light pollution. These standards require lights to be pointed downward, not upward, so that pointless light pollution of the heavens is prevented.
MINUTES
Eugene City Council Harris Hall, 125 East 8th Avenue Eugene, Oregon 97401
Betty Taylor, Emily Semple, Mike Clark, Chris Pryor, Claire Syrett, Jennifer Yeh
Councilor Taylor opened the September 18, 2019, work session of the Eugene City Council in Mayor Vinis' absence.
Senior Planner Jenessa Dragovich introduced the topic, defining digital signs, providing some examples, and outlining the benefits, drawbacks, and regulation options.
1. WORK SESSION: Digital Signs
Council Discussion
o Councilor Semple – expressed concern about the safety of digital signs, particularly considering the City's Vision Zero policy; would prefer to reduce signage for both safety and aesthetic reasons; asked staff for the legal minimum of what the City would be required to change.
September 18, 2019 12:00 p.m.
o Councilor Syrett – asked when Springfield changed its code to allow digital signs; asked whether there could be a limit on the number of digital billboards within the city, and whether those signs could be limited to billboards currently in existence; supported digital signs generally, though would like their number to be limited.
o Councilor Yeh – requested input from the Vision Zero advisory body; asked for a copy of the City of Springfield's code; asked about the energy use difference between lighting for existing billboards and digital signs; asked staff how the City could use the billboards for Amber Alerts and nonprofit use; noted that digital signs make advertising less expensive for nonprofits and small businesses; expressed support for the draft motion contained in the materials.
o Councilor Pryor – asked staff for statistics on accidents associated with digital signs; thought the content of a sign determined its level of distraction, not the medium itself; supported exploration of regulations to address and enable new technology.
o Councilor Clark – supported the motion, noting that digital signs were economical and effective for mass communication; thought they could be a helpful tool for communicating with residents in emergency situations.
o Councilor Taylor – agreed with Councilor Semple that digital billboards were distracting and not aesthetically pleasing; supported efforts to limit or reduce the number of signs; supported making the message on the Hult Center readerboard static.
o Councilor Syrett – said that opinions about what is attractive or distracting are subjective; would also like to receive the answers to Councilor Yeh's questions; noted that regulations are key to maintaining livability and public safety.
MINUTES – Eugene City Council September 18, 2019 Page 1
Work Session
September 14, 2019, Meeting - Item 2A
MOTION AND VOTE: Councilor Pryor, seconded by Councilor Syrett, moved to initiate land use code amendments to allow digital billboards and digital readerboards within the city and to implement changes to the sign regulations identified by staff that are legally required or necessary
to clarify the current regulations. PASSED 4:2, Councilors Taylor and Semple opposed.