Contentious plan for 65-foot-tall LED sign again heads to Fountain Valley council

A hotly contested electronic sign that would display advertisements near the 405 Freeway is scheduled to go before the Fountain Valley City Council on Tuesday after two postponements earlier this fall.

Clear Channel Outdoor is proposing to build the 65-foot-tall light-emitting diode sign at 10955 Ellis Ave., a nearly 3-acre city-owned parcel that contains a water reservoir tank. The city says it stands to gain at least $150,000 in annual revenue from a 30-year lease of the site.

The sign at the edge of the city limits would have two 672-square-foot LED displays forming a “V” shape visible from both directions of the freeway.

Though Clear Channel’s sign is not expected to negatively affect Fountain Valley households, it would be visible from at least 700 feet away across the Santa Ana River — much to the dismay of many Costa Mesa residents there, who have decried the plans for months.

Costa Mesa households were among those protesting the sign during a Fountain Valley Planning Commission meeting in August. In the end, the panel said it could not recommend approving the sign, though the City Council will have the final say.

Earlier this year, Clear Channel agreed to take down three non-LED signs in the city should it receive approval for the new sign, and to plant trees as a screening measure.

The company also has agreed to give Fountain Valley a one-time payment of $60,000 toward some digital displays at the city’s Recreation Center and Sports Park. Those displays would not contain advertising, only city recreational offerings.

Tuesday’s council meeting will begin at 6 p.m. at City Hall, 10200 Slater Ave.