BILLBOARD in Toronto by Branded Cities LLC/

By Jim Tortolano/Orange County Tribune

A proposed moratorium on new “freeway oriented” billboards in order to modernize standards for such advertising devices failed at last week’s meeting of the Westminster City Council.

The vote was 3-1 in favor of a “pause” in considering e-boards that face freeways, but because the moratorium was “an urgency ordinance” and required a four-fifths vote it was unsuccessful. Councilmember Carlos Manzo recused himself and Councilmember NamQuan Nguyen voted “no.”

Existing regulations for billboards date back to 1999 and city staff are attempting to bring standards into the era of electronic advertising.

A major point of contention was an applicant whose proposal for an e-board had been submitted but not completed. The applicant said revised regulations would potentially affect his project.

City staff said that the current height limit for billboards is 30 feet, while the proposed project would reach 90 feet.

The urgency ordinance would have created a moratorium lasting 45 days with the possibility of extending it for an additional 10 months. The city has already made deals with Branded Cities LLC for two electronic billboards facing the San Diego (405) Freeway.