Local News in Brief : Billboard Study Ordered
The Board of Supervisors has instructed county officials to examine whether controls on billboards along scenic highways in the Agoura-Calabasas area should be tightened. Supervisor Mike Antonovich recommended the study after area residents complained about two competing car dealerships that had installed large flashing signs on their lots near the Ventura Freeway and two billboards that were erected by the freeway in Calabasas.
City officials and homeowners argue that the clutter of signs mars the beauty of the rolling hills and reduces property values.
“Just as you’re going up into pretty country, it’s just honky-tonk,” said Dave Brown, president of the Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation.
Historically, billboards have been a controversial topic in the northwest section of Los Angeles County. Several years ago, “billboard vigilantes” used chain saws to cut down signs but were foiled by advertisers who fortified their poles with steel.
“When we take surveys, that’s one of the No. 1 things people want--the billboards taken down,” said Agoura Hills Mayor Jack Koenig.
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