Freeze on Billboards Is Election Ploy, Critics of Antonovich Charge

The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has imposed a freeze on new billboards along the Ventura Freeway and several other scenic highways in the Las Virgenes area.

New billboards have been banned along the Ventura Freeway since the mid-1970s anyway, but the action by the board Tuesday represents the first step toward establishing a “community standards district” for the county’s unincorporated western edge, which could result in stricter regulation of billboards and all other advertising signs in the area.

Supervisor Mike Antonovich introduced the emergency motion after receiving complaints early this year from community activists and officials of Westlake Village and Agoura Hills, said his planning deputy, Dave Vannatta. The critics alleged that the county’s present policy allows signs to clutter the beauty of the gateway to the Santa Monica Mountains.

Election Ploy Charged

Some billboard critics remained skeptical that Antonovich’s action was merely a campaign ploy and will not ultimately reduce sign clutter. Mary Wiesbrock, a member of the Las Virgenes Homeowners Federation, said the federation and the cities of Westlake Village, Agoura Hills and Thousand Oaks--which have strict sign ordinances--unsuccessfully asked Antonovich to tackle the sign problem two years ago.

“He didn’t listen before,” Wiesbrock complained. “The fact that he’s coming out now, I think it’s grandstanding for the election in November.”

Community activists allege that the billboard ban on the Ventura Freeway is meaningless because of the county prohibition against new billboards along the freeway. But Vannatta said the prohibition was not clearly spelled out in the law and suggested a county employee might unwittingly allow a sign to be erected.

The board originally approved a 60-day ban on freeway signs in May to allow the county’s Department of Regional Planning to study the problem. When the ban was extended for 45 days Tuesday, the board included the area’s other scenic highways in the moratorium.

Other Signs Criticized

Neighborhood activists, however, argue that no billboards have been erected along the area’s scenic highways in many years. They contend the critical need is for a moratorium on large pole signs and roof signs that businesses use to advertise on their own properties.

Vannatta said that the issue of on-site commercial signs will be addressed when the county planning staff begins drawing up guidelines for the community standards district. But Geoffrey Taylor, the county’s administrator of land use regulation, said Antonovich’s motion only directs the staff to investigate standards for billboards, which are not located on the business sites.