Editor’s Note: Former LA City Planning Commission President Jane Usher has submitted a written statement (Usher-billboards1.rtf) in advance of Wednesday morning’s public hearing on a proposed new sign ordinance for the city. She also released this oral statement she will make.
By Jane Usher
Good morning Commissioners. My name is 
Jane Usher. I submitted a detailed written statement to you earlier. Copies are available in the back of the room.
We are here today because the city of Los Angeles is suffering from a disease called sign proliferation. Let’s get this much straight. Our disease is not due to the silence of our laws. Since 2002, our city’s regulations have prohibited new billboards and alterations to existing billboards. This means that our current law bans all digital billboards. Our current laws also explicitly prohibit supergraphics. And yet, the city is awash in sign proliferation of these very types.
So what is causing our disease? Two unfortunate things: our zany exceptions to our own rules and our failure to enact behavior-influencing enforcement tools. Our current code allows the City to create billboard districts but provides no guidelines for judging these requests. This free-for-all was exacerbated in 2006 when the City Council granted the greatest exception imaginable: it authorized 840 digital billboards, to be installed at locations chosen by the sign companies. Our exceptions have led to dozens of lawsuits that challenge our basic billboard ban on the grounds that it has been unfairly applied. And, two, our code does not contain penalties or programs that would inspire sign companies to obey our rules.
We need a cure. But the ordinance before you today is not what the doctor ordered. It is, in truth, a distraction. It offers up an unnecessary, complicated new rubric that will invite another decade of litigation. It is light years behind New York City on the subject of penalties and enforcement protocols. And it is similarly weak when it comes to laying down unequivocal and sensible standards for granting exceptions. In fact, the proposal advances this aspect of our disease by recommending that you allow seven proposed billboard districts to march forward, still with no guidelines for judging them.
Planning Commissioners, you are in desperate need of a second medical opinion. One that focuses on the things that are actually making us sick. It is time for the political quacks who have brought us to this unfortunate day to step aside and let real doctors, real planners, in.
Jane’s analysis is the first cogent discussion of the billboard issue that I have seen.
Jane Usher seems a bit like Nick Patsouras. They were Board Chairs at Planning and DWP who now complain about what went on there.
Why is it that they finally saw the light when they werent commissioners anymore? Nick is more tied into the Villaraigosa camp than almost anybody.
Jane has very compelling things to say but she also had a very serious job where she could have worked on some of those issues. Its dissapointing to say the least, that she didnt do more when she had a chance.
I suggest you title your billboard issues in code, because the google ads pick up the message and that’s all you will see are ads for signs and billboards. Not quite the message you want to display for the anti-billboard crowd.
Re: Anonymous at 2:49…
Dude, do a little homework and then pop off…
You’ve either has been hiding under a rock, or you’re being disingenuous as a means of discrediting Ms. Usher.
The fact is, she did everything she could to fight from inside the system — and when the system pushed back she resigned rather than knuckle under.
Seriously, a couple of quick keystrokes in the google machine and you can read all about it on the interwebs:
http://www.laweekly.com/2008-12-18/news/fiery-urban-critic-jane-usher-resigns/
Sorry, in the post immediately above this one I meant “Re: Anonymous at 2:24″ rather than 2:49…..
This is 2:24-you are probably right about Jane-she did seem very independent and probably did as good as she could in that position. I just wish she went public earlier. I think it would have been very difficult for the Mayor to fire her.
But, I agree with you that she tried very hard in less than favorable circumstances.
Ms. Usher is doing the job that should be the planning department’s responsibility. The Director should be questioned on this pitiful ordinance that does very little to protect the city from visual blight. We hope she will be there at commission to answer questions.
2:24 pm, I’m glad you “get” that Jane did fight a good fight. The best way to find out how a commissioner voted and (sometimes) what he or she said is to go to past meeting minutes.
Some members of the public think that all commissioners cave in to what the mayor and his people want. Not so. You can see by those 4 to 1 votes that there is usually a lone ranger doing his or her best to do/say what is right. Sadly, the 4′s win every time.
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