Law Requires Developers to Remove Billboards

In an attempt to rid Redondo Beach of billboards, the City Council has passed a law requiring developers to remove existing billboards before constructing new buildings and allowing the Planning Commission to refuse new projects on properties with billboards until the developer agrees to take them down.

The city adopted an ordinance in 1991 preventing any new billboards from going up, but has had no recourse for removing advertisements that were erected years ago, said Randy Berler, a senior city planner. Berler said the city passed the law because officials had hoped that the about 30 billboards that remain in the city would be gone by the end of 1996.

“This will be a very slow process, but it’s necessary,” Berler said. “We feel billboards have a harmful impact on commercial corridors. They detract from the area aesthetically, they add clutter and compete with signs for existing businesses that are nearby.”