Vance Jackson Neighborhood, Inc.

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Digital Off-Premise Billboards (September 07 to May 09)


Introduction

"Won't get fooled again!", The Who

Why is VJNI involved?
  • In November 2007, we received over 300 signatures from association members, which is even a large number by state standards, in opposition to the San Antonio Digital Billboard Ordinance
What is our challenge?
  • For decades, San Antonio city councils have shown little commitment, wisdom or courage to elevate public interests over those of Clear Channel and the Mays family
  • Whereas District 8 Councilwoman Diane Cibrian has been an energetic and resourceful leader for neighborhood issues, she melted into the pack on December 6, 2007 on this city-wide issue
What VJNI members can do now:
  • Phone/write/email: Mayor Phil Hardberger; District 8 Councilwoman Diane Cibrian; and City Manager Sheryl Sculley. (See contact info below)
  • Join and support civic groups, such as the Conservation Society and Scenic Texas
  • Sign our VJ petition when the sign ordinance comes up again (around Dec 08). Stretch goal - get the signatures of other people
  • Go to the city council meeting when the sign ordinance comes up again. Stretch goal - sign up and address the council
  • For the next city wide election in May 2009, make candidates state their position on this issue and remember voting records when you go to the polls
What members of other HOAs can do:
  • Get your HOA active! We need involvement in all council districts
What's wrong with the San Antonio Digital Billboard Ordinance that was passed Dec 6, 2007?
  • Three Main Reasons: UGLY, UGLY, and UGLY - San Antonio is littered with ugly billboards. Far more than other, major Texan cities. Digital billboards will have an even greater 'UGLY' impact
  • Lousy Representation - Again, our city council appears content to sacrifice public good to satisfy private interests and relegate San Antonio into a second tier status among Texan cities. REMEMBER THIS WHEN YOU GO TO THE POLLS
  • Obviously Unsafe - It's simply a matter of common sense that digital billboards with changing messages will be more distracting and hence less safe
    • There has been no, independent, national study to show digital billboards pose the same or less risk for highway safety
    • The San Antonio ordinance requires city staff to provide a "report" to city council about safety, but we can be confident that this "report" will be superficial and unscientific
  • Lousy Deal for Citizens - Clear Channel, and the other companies, will get a 'golden handshake' of 300% to 3800% increases in gross revenues:
    • These high increases in revenues mean comparable high increases in visual impact on the community
    • Returns on investment (ROIs) will be vastly greater than economically necessary to induce trades
    • While there's nothing wrong with private profit, windfall profit at the public expense (aka 'corporate enrichment') is unacceptable
    • The City of San Antonio has conducted no credible, independent study of billboard economics to support smart negotiations
    • Other cities (such as Houston) are achieving better rates of billboard elimination with 'no new billboard' strategies
  • Trashy/Indecent Content - Companies and advertisers will have more freedom to flash short duration advertisements with trashy or indecent pictures and messages, than they have with old vinyl signs that are up for weeks or months
  • Scenic Protections Gutted - Protection from new billboard construction on scenic and urban corridors (I-10, 1604, 281, etc.) was lifted:
    • Given traffic and income patterns, billboard companies will be targeted these corridors for maximum coverage
  • Lousy Management Record of City Staff - City staff is not resourced or motivated to manage an exchange program in favor of citizen interests in the short or long run
  • Financial Liability - Taxpayers will have much greater financial risk for billboard removal for roadway modifications
  • Bad for Business - Sure. Billboards are great for the billboard industry (Clear Channel), but degrade San Antonio's uniqueness, which is a big attraction for tourism. Also they project a low-tech appearance and lower our standing for attracting high tech companies. Light pollution is the major concern for the Army in the Camp Bullis area.
  • Other Quality of Life Problems - Besides trashing urban aesthetics, digital billboards will induce noise pollution, light pollution*, etc.



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What's New

Apr 2009 - Jerry Wachtik - "Safety Impacts of the Emerging Digital Display Technology for Outdoor Advertising Signs (FINAL REPORT)", Submitted Under NCHRP Project 20-7 (256)
San Antonio News Items and Events

Jan 29, 2009 - City Council Meeting - Digital Billboard Pilot Report:
  • Tracy Idell Hamilton and Jennifer Hiller, Express-News (1/4/09) - "A Digital Debate"
    • "The lone remaining question for San Antonio, the only major Texas city to allow them so far, is this: Will there be more?"
    • "Clear Channel wrote in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing this summer, 'We have enjoyed significantly higher revenue per digital billboard than the revenue per vinyl billboard with relatively minimal capital costs.' And those costs are dropping. Four years ago, a digital face might have cost $500,000. Today, Golimowski said the cost is approaching $100,000."
    • Comment: And the lone political question for council members will be: Who's more important? Citizens of San Antonio or corporate pals at Clear Channel?
  • Elaine Wolff, San Antonio Current (1/28/09) - "Digital Delay"
    • "'We just looked at [the data] we had, and it doesn't really tell us anything,' said Planning Director Rod Sanchez. The report recommends that the department return to Council with a more thorough study next October"
  • June Kachtik, SSA (1/28/09) - Federal Study | FHA Memorandum | Selection Criteria
  • Reference:
    • Jerry Wachtel, President, The Veridian Group, Inc. - Critque of San Antonio Study
      • "I explained to Mr. Simpson that, in my opinion, and in the opinion of others who have written on this subject," that the San Antonio study "would not produce meaningful results, for several reasons"
      • Comment: Mr. Wachtel is a nationally known safety expert.
Jan 15, 2009 - City Council Meeting City Code - Chapter 10 Dec 11, 2008 - City Council Meeting - Camp Bullis Lighting Overlay Ordinance ('Dark Skies') Nov 19, 2008 - Infrastructure and Growth Committee Meeting - Camp Bullis Lighting Overlay Ordinance ('Dark Skies')
  • Synopsis of the meeting:
    • The Fort Sam Army spokesman reported some progress on the ordinance, concurred with it going to city council on December 11th, but still had issues with billboards
    • Cibrian promised to include civic groups in the discussions between now and December 11th
  • Draft Ordinance - Ordinance Copy (Downloaded at 6:30AM)
  • Rod Sanchez - Zoning Minutes & Alledged Mitigations
    • Ted Trakas - A critique of Mr. Sanchez's statement - "Did He Lie?"
  • Ted Trakas - Comments to Infrastructure Committee on the Camp Bullis Lighting Overlay Ordinance
    • Given a one minute time limit, I recited a list of findings by the Zoning Commission from the prior day
    • Personal Comment: Boy, these 'fast track' (aka 'railroading') exercises with Cibrian are getting old. Anyone want to volunteer as the next VJ President??? My 'fun meter' is pegged
  • June Kachtik (SSA) - Summary of Events
    • "I asked for the definition of stakeholder and was told that it meant the military and Clear Channel and experts such as engineers. I asked that citizen interests also be involved, and Rod Sanchez was directed to meet with us as well"
  • Tracy Idell Hamilton (Express-News) - "Dark-skies initiative gains Army backing"
    • "Two of the three main concerns the Army had were immediately resolved, according to city staffers, leaving only the digital billboard issue to be hashed out by Dec. 11, when the ordinance - essentially a limit on lighting in new development aimed to protect Camp Bullis - goes before the City Council for approval"
  • Elaine Wolff (SA Current) - "Clear Channel likes skies bright, citizens in the dark"
    • "San Antonio's digital-billboard pilot program was drafted loosely enough that Clear Channel was able to place several of them in Scenic and Scenic-Urban Corridors "
  • Also see Research and Reference Documents
Nov 19, 2008 - Infrastructure and Growth Committee Meeting - City Code Chapter 10
  • An important issue - Includes 'Gutting' of Electrical Supervisory Board (ESB) - Web entry under construction
  • Elaine Wolff (SA Current) - "Clear Channel likes skies bright, citizens in the dark"
    • "Then, this spring, the ESB kicked back four of Clear Channel's digital-billboard apps because they didn't think they met the application criteria. The City quickly overruled the ESB's decision."
    • "Less than a month later, District 9 Councilmember Louis Rowe put together a Council Consideration Request to revise the role of the Electrical Supervisory Board. That proposal would make the board strictly an adisory and appeals board . . ."
    • Note - Mr. Rowe's rush to protect his #1 constituent (Clear Channel) has gained him a good shot at wrestling the 'Chief Water Boy' title away from Rod Sanchez. (See San Antonio Elections)
Nov 18, 2008 - Zoning Commission Meeting:
  • Ted Trakas - Comments to Zoning Commission on the Camp Bullis Lighting Overlay Ordinance
    • Personal Comment: Commissioners were visibly perturbed with city staff about the ordinance.
  • Tracy Idell Hamilton (Express-News) - "Input from Army, residents excluded from Bullis plan"
    • "A proposed dark skies ordinance was stopped in its tracks Tuesday when the city's Zoning Commission learned the Army had been left out of the process"
    • Reidinger (the Army spokesman) "told commissioners the Army could not support the ordinance as drafted, in part because it allowed digital billboards. The Army worked closely with Bexar and Comal counties to craft their dark skies rules"
    • "The Zoning Commission recommended that city staffers go back to work on the ordinance, making sure to include the military and nearby residents"
  • Also see Research and Reference Documents
Oct 16, 2008 - June Kachtik (SSA) - Email
  • Ron Sanchez makes motion to Infrastructure Board to strip power from the Electrical Supervisory Board (ESB), an independent citizen group
  • "Clear Channel was represented by Frank Burney, who said that the Electrical Supervisory Board has been confused about its role, creating ill will."
  • Comment - I think the 'ill will' comes from the fact the the ESB is one of few entities in San Antonio governance that doesn't give the appearance of being on the Clear Channel payroll. (TCT)
Oct 01, 2008 - Elaine Wolff (San Antonio Current) - "Power outage"
  • City Hall tries to pull the plug on the Electrical Supervisory Board (ESB)
  • "Sanchez is pushing the line that the board doesn't really supervise anything since the state replaced its licensing function in 2003; the proposed changes really bring the name in line with the actual power (or lack thereof) it has, he says."
  • "Ashkenaze disagrees and would, in fact, like to add stricter public-oversight provisions and regulation to the infamous Digital Billboard Pilot Program, with ESB's input, a subject he was planning to bring up at the board's October meeting"
Sep 06, 2008 - Neighborhood Resource Center Conference: Aug 27, 2008 - Elaine Wolff (San Antonio Current) - "Hang 'em high (and fast) - A digital-billboard primer"
  • "Like many participants and observers in this battle, especially those who showed up repeatedly at subcommittee hearings, council, and Electrical Supervisory Board meetings to register their opposition to digital billboards, San Antonio Conservation Society President Marcie Ince thinks Clear Channel's hometown advantage sealed the deal"
  • "Perhaps no provision of the local digital-billboard pilot program causes as much heartburn as the method for determining whether converting a vinyl billboard to a digital sign is a "significant" modification - a crucial distinction, because billboards along San Antonio's Scenic Corridors can only be remade into digital displays if the modification isn't 'significiant'"
Jun 30, 2008 - June Kachtik (SSA) - Email requesting a digital billboard moratorium

Jun 19, 2008 - San Antonio City Council Meeting - 'Citizens to be heard' Jun 10, 2008 - Electrical Supervisory Board Meeting - Receives applications for digital billboards under the Pilot Program: Dec 06, 2007 - San Antonio Council Meeting - Passes Digital Billboard Ordinance: Dec 05, 2007 - KABB FOX San Antonio Report - ClipSyndicate - San Antonio Council to consider Digital Billboard Ordinance

Nov 27, 2007 - Patti Radle (ON Walker Report) - "City Council considering approving digital billboards"
  • The proposed digital billboard "will weaken the ordinance we past several years ago to protect certain scenic corridors"
Nov 08, 2007 - Eva Ruth Moravec, Staff Writer (newvine.com) - "Opposition to digital signs grows"

Nov 08, 2007 - Eva Ruth Moravec, Staff Writer (newvine.com) - "Digital signs may be allowed in San Antonio"
  • Roderick Sanchez (Department Head, Developmental Services) - "We're going to regulate the heck out of them [digital signs]"
October 18, 2007 - Chuck Saxer (NNOD) - Position Paper - to Council Infrastructure and Growth Committee Meeting

Sep 11, 2007 - Electrical Supervisory Board Meeting: Sep 10, 2007 - River Road Neighborhood Association - "RRNA Officially Opposes Digital Billboards and the Proposed Electrical Ordinance"



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Vance Jackson Neighborhood, Inc. Documents


Civic and Neighborhood Groups - Pls copy and modify the below documents as needed for your own association


Nov 19, 2008 - Ted Trakas - Comments to Infrastructure Committee on the Camp Bullis Lighting Overlay Ordinance Nov 18, 2008 - Ted Trakas - Comments to Zoning Commission on the Camp Bullis Lighting Overlay Ordinance Sep 06, 2008 - "Information Sheet for the Neighborhood Resource Center Conference"  | B/W Version
  • Summarizes San Antonio's digital billboard issue and what neighborhood groups can do about it.
Jun 19, 2008 - "Is San Antonio's Billboard Exchange Program A Good Deal?"  |  PPT Version
  • "San Antonio's '4:1' ordinance is not a good deal for the city and its citizens"
May 01, 2008 - 'Thank you' Letter to Anaheim City Council
  • "I wanted to inform you that your example is having a general impact across the nation and congratulate you on the impressive leadership that you are showing"
Mar 18, 2008 - "The Economics of San Antonio's Digital Billboard Ordinance"  |  Word Version (Full Report) Feb 02, 2008 - "Why Clear Channel Won the Digital Billboard Vote"  |  RTF Version
  • "Clear Channel has an impressive 'home court advantage' and the track record of San Antonio governance is not encouraging"
Dec 06, 2007 - Statement to Council
  • "The officers and board members of Vance Jackson have approved a formal position statement in opposition to Digital Billboards, which calls for City Council to vote down the proposed ordinance"
Nov 01, 2007 - Position Statement
  • "Signs and billboards are an unacceptable pox infecting the San Antonio landscape. Allowing Off Premise Digital Signs only perpetuates the disease. Houston, Dallas and Fort Worth do not allow new billboards and are gradually phasing out older ones"



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Clear Channel News Items


In this section, we track statements and actions of Clear Channel, which owns about 90% of the off-premise billboards in San Antonio


Sep 03, 2008 - Elaine Wolff (San Antonio Current) - "Kissin' cousins"
  • Caution - There's some rough language on this web page.
  • "Clear Channel VP Tim Anderson . . . confirmed to us that Clear Channel Outdoor Prez Blake Custer used to work for City Manager Sheryl Sculley way back in Phoenix, but never mentioned that the time lapse between his tenure at TXDOT - in the Right of Way division, no less - and a job at that same Clear Channel, was infinitesimal by comparison"
Jul 24, 2008 - Sanford Nowlin (Express-News) - "Clear Channel shareholders OK deal to go private"

Jun 24, 2008 - Radio Business Report - "Clear Channel lays out future strategy"
  • Bain Capital and Thomas H. Lee Partners, owners-to-be of Clear Channel, map future strategy
  • "Advertising expenditures on outdoor digital billboards are projected to grow by 17x from 2.4% (2007) to 34% (2011) of the total advertising dollar!"
  • Comment: Why so profitable? Once digital billboards are up, no one can Tivo them
Jun 05, 2008 - San Antonio Business Journal - "Clear Channel Outdoor joins San Antonio's Windtricity program"
  • Clear Channel to buy 30% of its electrical usage in San Antonio from CPS' Windtricity program
  • Comment: Admittedly a smart PR move since this is a good mitigation to the carbon issue in San Antonio. And yes, it does hurt to admit this
Mar 26, 2008 - Patricia Lowry (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette) - "Places: With billboards, cities are facing the digital decision"
  • Patricia quotes Paul Meyer, Clear Channel Outdoor chief executive, on the advantages of digital billboards, "There's no mute button, no on-off switch, no changing the station"
Feb 14, 2008 - Mark P. Mays, Chief Executive Officer - Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO) - 2007 Results
  • CCO had outstanding results in 2007. CCO exceeded their forecast for the roll-out of digital boards in 2007 and are on track to accelerate the roll-out in 2008
Sep 13, 2007 - MySA Business - "Clear Channel's digital billboards are really a sign of the times"
  • Includes an interview of Mark P. Mays, Chief Executive Officer - Clear Channel Outdoor (CCO)
  • Mr. Mays calls digital billboards "a revenue accelerator" and "a great business that's got a growing audience, that's inescapable - you can't get away from it."
Jun 05, 2007 - Clear Channel - Anaheim RFI Proposal (2.88Mb)
  • Proposed removal of 48 30-sheet (282 Sq Ft) billboards from street locations and addition of 9 14'x48' (672 sq ft) new billboards to highway locations. Exchange Ratio = 48:9 = 5.3:1
  • 1 out of 9 new billboards was proposed to be digital
2006 - Clear Channel - 2006 Shareholder Letter
  • Digital billboards will create "entirely new - and additional - revenue opportunities"
The Bottom Line:
  • Clear Channel and other billboard companies will enjoy dramatically increased revenues by converting passive billboards to digital design
  • Comment: Billboard revenues are based on visual impact. Citizens and city officials need to understand that digital conversions can overwhelm and degrade urban aestetics
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Anaheim News Items


On the subject of billboards, Anaheim presents a good governmental example ('the gold standard') for open and honest deliberations and effective use of economics to promote the public good

Jan 05, 2009 - Susan Kim, AICP, Senior Planner, City of Anaheim - Update on Anaheim's Billboard Exhange Program

Feb 06, 2008 - Planning Department, City of Anaheim - Request for Proposals for Billboard Exchange Program Nov 06, 2007 - Anaheim City Council Meeting: Sep 11, 2007 - Anaheim City Council Meeting - Council Minutes (See Item 19, Page 7)
  • "Sheri Vander Dussen, Planning Director, reported that last April an RFI was issued to provide an opportunity to remove billboards along arterial highways in exchange for the right to construct new freeway oriented billboards . . . "
Jun 05, 2007 - Clear Channel - Anaheim RFI Proposal (2.88Mb)
  • Proposed removal of 48 30-sheet (282 Sq Ft) billboards from street locations and addition of 9 14'x48' (672 sq ft) new billboards to highway locations. Exchange Ratio = 48:9 = 5.3:1
  • 1 out of 9 new billboards was proposed to be digital
Sep 12, 2006 - Anaheim City Council Meeting - Council Minutes (See Pages 4-7)
  • "Sheri Vander Dussen indicated that at a workshop last December, Council had requested further information regarding the locations, size and ownership of existing billboards and options for reducing the number of neighborhood billboards pointing out this workshop would provide an overview of a subsequent written report . . ." (Note - The "workshop last December" took place in December 2005)
  • "Laine Lawson, Clear Channel, remarked that his firm was seeking to come up with an exchange program to remove billboards out of residential areas and place them in more industrial commercial areas along the freeways"
  • "Mayor Pringle recommended the RFI process and asked the City Attorney if billboard exchange agreements could be written in such a way as to be extremely limiting in its scope. Mr. White indicated staff could draft such an ordinance to accomplish Council's goals"
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Houston News Items


Houston is good example for: (1) open and consistent governmental processes; (2) the effectiveness of a 'no new billboards' ordinance; and (3) true partnership between government and civic groups


Dec 21, 2008 - Max Watson, Scenic Houston & Charles McMahen, Quality of Life Coalition - "Letters: Why subsidize billboards?"
  • "On Dec. 12, the Chronicle reported that Harris County settled a lawsuit brought by Clear Channel Outdoor over the visibility of one of their billboards"
  • "The 25-foot tall billboard had a value for tax purposes of about $21,800, yet the county paid Clear Channel $525,000 for a billboard visibility easement and permitted Clear Channel to keep the billboard and raise it 10 feet higher"
  • "Why should homeowners and businesses subsidize multibillion dollar billboard companies?"
  • Reference - Quality of Life Coalition - Home Page
    • "Houston's Quality of Life Coalition is an umbrella organization of business, civic, and charitable organizations.  This diverse group of organizations have missions that vary widely though all are in agreement about the importance and need for more parks, street trees and natural areas, fewer billboards, appropriately scaled signage, and no graffiti, litter or abandoned properties"
  • Comments: This article demonstrates: (1) the billboard industry receives preferential tax treatment due to artificially low valuations; (2) the public faces financial liabilities with billboards; and (3) civic and business interests can unite to fight billboard blight. [Sadly, San Antonio tourism, high-tech, and other business interests have been grossly under-represented on the billboard issue.]
Aug 14, 2008 - Houston recognizes a significant milestone - the first 100 of the 831 billboards have been removed Apr 15, 2008 - Houston City Council finalizes a billboard deal with Clear Channel Apr 07, 2008 - Carolyn Feibel (Houston Chronicle) - "Mayor flips the blight switch"
  • "Clear Channel would remove 831 small and medium-sized billboards from across the city, 51 of them from designated 'scenic districts'. That represents a two-thirds reduction of all the company's billboards that are less than 288 square feet in size"
Aug 24, 2007 - Off the Kuff - "Digital billboards"
  • "Blake Custer, president of the San Antonio division of Clear Channel Outdoor, told the commission that his company is 'ecstatic' about the opportunity to use LED displays but, if allowed, would move forward 'on a sensitive and balanced basis'"
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News Items Relavent to San Antonio Elections


In this section, we seek commitment and accountability by tracking billboard statements and actions of potential candidates for office, including the next city-wide election in May 09


Diane Cibrian, District 8 Justin Rodriguez, District 7
  • Dec 06, 2007 - D7 Councilman Justin Rodriguez is the only council member to vote against the 'Clear Channel' ordinance - Council Voting Record
Louis Rowe, District 9
  • Oct 1, 2008 - Councilman Rowe moves to pull the plug on the Electrical Supervisory Board - Bourne Email  |  Meeting Agenda
    • The supervisory board is a citizen group that oversee billboards. It is arguably the only COSA group that gives any appearance of independance of Clear Channel
    • Comment: Our congrats to Mr. Rowe. This definitely puts him into strong competition with Rod Sanchez to win the coveted honor of Chief Water Boy on Clear Channel's team
Kevin Wolff - County Commissioner Precinct 3 (Candidate)
  • Aug 20, 2008 - Elaine Wolff (San Antonio Current) - "Blinded by the light"
    • "Kevin Wolff voted to approve the digital-billboard pilot program."
    • "His campaign coffers are $8,000 richer thanks to donations from the Mays (Mark and Randall, CEO and CFO, respectively, of Clear Channel Outdoor), Clear Channel Outdoor lobbying reps Martin & Drought, and Bill Kaufman, who lobbies for Clear Channel Airport"
  • Nov 04, 2008 - Comment: Well, I broke a straight ticket to vote against Wolff, but he still won.
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Other News Items


Here we track selected news items from outside of San Antonio


Sep 10, 2008 - David Baron (NPR) - "In Florida, Billboards Trump Trees"
  • "Across America, communities intent on beautifying their roadways often plant trees. But in some places, those trees have encountered a powerful foe: the billboard industry"
Sep 08, 2008 - AMY JOHNSTON (KVUE News) - "Billboard controversy along Highway 71 in West Travis County"
  • "Some people who live in the Hill Country say a disturbing new trend is popping off Highway 71 . . . and the signs are hard to miss"
May 29, 2008 - Tony Cantú (North San Antonio Times) - "City officials move to ban digital billboards"
  • Alamo Heights and Olmos Park city officials ban the bright signs outright
May 22, 2008 - By Don Bommer (Bulverde Community News) - "City prohibits digital billboards"
  • Bulverde City Council prohibits digital LED (light emitting diode) billboards
May 22, 2008 - Castle Hills bans digital billboards - North Central News Article

Apr 23, 2008 - Christine Pelisek (LA Weekly News) - "4,000 Illegal Billboards Choke L.A.'s Neighborhoods"
  • Comment: Cities don't do well regulating billboards. Arguably, the only manageable, enforceable city ordinance is 'No new billboards'
Feb 15, 2008 - Indianapolis Star - "Making billboards into dollar signs"
  • "It's been blown out of proportion that Indianapolis has sign problems. San Antonio has 1,940 outdoor advertising locations in the city limits. That's probably three times as many as in Indianapolis. Some people may say they emit visual pollution, but I say beauty's in the eye of the beholder" -
  • Comment: So you can translate this as ... San Antonio makes Indianapolis look good. This is the accomplishment of San Antonian City Councils
Feb 13, 2008 - Carolyn Feibel (Houston Chronicle) - "Digital ads shine light on extra cost"
  • Discusses increased public financial liabilities for billboard relocations due to road modifications
Dec 17, 2007 - Associated Press - "State reviews comments on pros and cons of digital billboards"

Sep 05, 2007 - William M. Welch (USA TODAY) - "Neighbors hope to pull digital billboards"
  • "Mark Legan has enjoyed his quiet, leafy neighborhood for 12 years, until someone threw a switch and filled his nights with bright, colorful lights."
Apr 21, 2005 - Mark Mayer, Scenic Arizona - "Research on Electronic Billboards"
  • "The findings in this memo are based on telephone interviews with 682 adult residents of the State of Arizona between April 12 and April 17, 2005, including 524 registered voters."
  • "Arizonans were asked whether they believed laws allowing electronic billboards on state highways that could change ads every six seconds should be or not be allowed. By a 73 percent to 21 percent margin (or 3.5-to-1), Arizonans opine that they should not be allowed."
  • Comment: Undoubtedly, a scientific survey in San Antonio would yield the same results. So a council vote to the contrary is just a vote for corporate patrons.
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Resources

American Institute of Architects (AIA) San Antonio: Position Statements

City of Houston City Manager Sheryl Sculley
  • Email
  • Suggested topics: City staff monitor the billboard pilot more critically. City staff 'fast track' contracting for an independent, professional billboard study, such as the one that Anaheim directed.
District 8 Councilwoman Diane Cibrian:
  • Mailing Adress - Councilwoman Diane Cibrian, City Hall Office, P.O. Box 839966, San Antonio, TX 78283
  • Phone - 210-207-7086
  • Email
Mayor Phil Hardberger:
  • Mailing Adress - Mayor Phil Hardberger, P.O. Box 839966, San Antonio, TX 78283
  • Phone - 210-207-7060/7107
  • Email
Northside Neighborhoods for Organized Development (NNOD): Other Local Ordinances: Boerne (Sec 18-11)  |  Helotes (Sec 66-91)  |  Hill Country Village (Sec 50-9)  |  Leon Valley (Sec 5 to 4)

San Antonio Conservation Society: Home Page  |  Position Paper

San Antonio Demographics: San Antonio Development Services Department: San Antonio Infrastructure and Growth Committee: San Antonio Office of City Clerk: San Antonio Scenic and Urban Corridors:
  • City Ordinance (See Chapter 28 Signs and Billboards - ARTICLE VII. Urban Corridors) - Municode
  • City map of once protected roadways - Map
Scenic America: Home Page

Scenic San Antonio (SSA): Scenic Texas: Stop Billboards: Home Page

Texas Highway Man: Home Page  |  Traffic Statistics

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Your Child's anti-billboard graphic here


Submit your drawing or cartoon to the contact information shown below, and we will post it if judged appropriate. All submissions become the property of VJNI.

Amber (Age 12) - Billboards are a waste of space

Ashley (Age 13) - Flashy billboards disturb sleep

Autumn (Age 12) - Billboards cause severe health problems: burns and seizures

Teddy (Age 6) - Kirk, Spock and the Enterprise phaser an alien billboard
  • Legal Notice: VJNI and its officers and members do not solicit or condone the use of phasers on billboards ;-)


The Future for SA Advertising?
Sep 04, 2008

Companies and advertisers will have more freedom to flash short duration advertisements with trashy or indecent pictures and messages, than they have with old vinyl signs that are up for weeks or months:

The Possible Future of billboard advertising
Click to see larger image


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Massacre on Mulberry
Oct 7, 2008

A tree at the corner of Mulberry and I-10, which hid a new digital billboard, just got a ham-handed hatchet job. Coincidence?

Was this tree chopped to unblock the view of a billboard?
Click picture for details


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Protections Slashed

Formerly protected corridors in San Antonio are now vulnerable to digital makeovers:

San Antonio Scenic and Urban Corridors
Click picture for bigger view

(Special thanks to 'Texas Highway Man' for map support.)


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The Perfect Storm

San Antonio, and particularly the north side of San Antonio, face a perfect storm for proliferation of digital billboards

1. San Antonio political realities favor Clear Channel's home court advantage. (Why else is San Antonio so out of step with the rest of the state?):

Why Clear Channel Won the Digital Billboard Vote
Click picture to see report

2. San Antonio's ordinance makes exchanges extremely lucrative:

The Economics of San Antonio's Digital Billboard Ordinance
Click picture to see report

3. The billboard industry will target higher traffic highways:

San Antonio Traffic Patterns
Click picture for bigger view

4. The billboard industry will target higher income areas:

San Antonio Income Distribution
Click picture for bigger view

5. The City of San Antonio is not staffed to credibly manage and oversee the billboard industry:

San Antonio Digital Billboards Application Problems
Click picture to see briefing


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A Tale of Two Cities

San Antonio:

On December 6, 2007, San Antonio City Council passed a revised sign ordinance that allows exchanges of passive-for-digital billboards. [Meeting Records]

New digital billboards faces may now replace passive ones on scenic and urban corridors.

Anaheim:

On Sep 12, 2006, Anaheim City Council demanded industry bids against a Request for Proposal. [Meeting Minutes]

On Jun 5, 2007, Clear Channel, the primary billboard company in San Antonio, bid a proposal that had 9 times fewer digital billboards than what San Antonio allows in its ordinance. [Proposal] [Summary]

On Nov 6, 2007, Anaheim rejected all bids because they were not sufficiently in the public interest and compromised scenic protections already in place. [Meeting Records]


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The San Antonio Digital Billboard Pilot

The San Antonio billboard industry has ingenuously crafted 'San Antonio Digital Billboard Pilot', which will have insideous consequences.

The billboard industry will try to make the ordinance permanent by promoting the notions that 'A 4-to-1 ordinance is a good deal' and 'Digital billboards aren't so bad afterall' based on the one-year, 15-billboard pilot. What's wrong with this?

Frog in Boiling Water

The full impact of the sign ordinance (and the inability of city staff to manage it for citizens) will not become painfully obvious for many years. But then it will be too late and we'll all look at 2008 as another lost opportunity for San Antonio to join the ranks of top-tier Texas cities, which do effectively control billboards.

So far, only District 7 Councilman Justin Rodriguez has shown commitment, wisdom and courage on this issue.

Vance Jackson Neighborhood, Inc., 10004 Wurzbach Rd Ste 192, San Antonio, TX 78230-2214
Email - officers@vjni.org