Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer on Thursday hailed a ruling with the California Second Appellate District Court that upholds the city's authority to regulate billboards and other offsite signs.
"This is a landmark ruling not only for Los Angeles, but for the entire state of California," Feuer said.
In 2002, the city passed a permanent ban on new billboard signs, including alterations made to existing offsite signs, which advertise products and services without being on the premises of the business that provides them. This later expanded to signs with digital displays in 2009.
Lamar Central Outdoor filed the lawsuit challenging Los Angeles' denial of several applications to convert billboards to digital displays. While a lower court ruled in favor the company, the appellate court overturned the decision.
"Had this court ruled to the contrary, you would have seen digitized billboards popping up everywhere in Los Angeles, interfering with traffic safety, intruding into people's lives, messing with the aesthetics of neighborhoods. … That's not happening now," said Feuer.
Reach Staff Reporter Giovanni Moujaes here.
Annenberg Media