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Billboard Settlement Headed For Tampa City Council Vote

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By CHRISTIAN M. WADE | The Tampa Tribune

Published: January 19, 2009

The city council is expected to vote Thursday on settlement to end a more than decade-old dispute with two companies over the number of billboards they can put up.

The agreement before the council would, if approved, require CBS Outdoors and Clear Channel Outdoors to take down traditional billboards in the so-called "scenic corridors."

In exchange, they would be allowed to replace them with digital billboards in other areas.

Neighborhood groups and some council members say that the deal would mean a proliferation of digital billboards – large television-like screens that display multiple advertisements – ruining the city's landscape and creating public safety issues.

Members of Tampa Homeowners, An Association of Neighborhoods have managed to win several concessions from the two companies, including increasing the distance between the digital signs and residential properties from 200 feet to 500 feet and setting the ratio of replacing regular billboards with digital ones to 4 to 1.

The dispute dates to 1996, when the city signed an agreement with the companies limiting the number of billboards in the city limits. CBS and Clear Channel filed lawsuits against the city in Hillsborough County Circuit Court, challenging the agreement terms.

At issue is whether the outdoor sign companies have a right to replace billboards that the city has required them to remove over the years.

Since the 1996 agreement, Clear Channel has taken down 567 billboards; CBS has removed 54. Currently, CBS has 711 permitted billboards within the city limits; Clear Channel has 129, city officials said. It's not known yet how many of those would have to come down.

Representatives for CBS and Clear Channel declined to comment on the settlement.

Both companies have agreed to pay the city $25,000 to cover its legal expenses.

If the council OKs the settlements, they will be submitted to a county judge for approval.

Reporter Christian M. Wade can be reached at (813) 259-7679.

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