Electronic Billboard Quest Comes To Capitol

The fate of a digital billboard erected on Whalley Avenue is clear. It’s not going anywhere.

But west-side neighbors and elected officials said the city should have more explicit power to regulate such future billboards, though outdoor advertising advocates say it already has such powers.

Lawmakers heard that testimony here Monday on a bill being backed by New Haven State Rep. Pat Dillon. She said the bill would help clarify cities’ authority to regulate such billboards and allow cities like New Haven to regulate the brightness and hours that such billboards can operate.

It will be up to the General Assembly’s Judiciary Committee to decide what happens next to the bill.

The bill arose after an off-premise sign went up in BD Food Market and Deli’s parking lot, at 1057 Whalley Ave. seemingly overnight. Officials would later learn that the owner of the double-sided, 230-square-foot sign, was able to erect it as of right. (Read more about the sign here.)

The sign, which is near the intersection of Whalley Ave and Emerson Street, is of special consternation to the parents of Chapel Haven residents who fear that the sign will not only distract drivers but make crossing the intersection difficult for adults with disabilities.

Lauralyn Lewis, a parent of a 26-year-old Chapel Havener who has Down Syndrome, testified her concern about the impact such a sign will have on people with intellectual disabilities like her son.

“The electronic sign, should it be allowed to operate, will be a distraction to motorists who will be looking at the billboard and not the light or a pedestrian in the crosswalk,” she said. ​“For many of our sons and daughters, the angle of the electronic display would be enough to catch their attention and distract them from the walk signal. This is a tragedy waiting to happen.”

Valencia Goodridge, co-president of the Westville Village Renaissance Alliance, echoed Lewis’ concerns and raised additional ones about the possibility of the digital boards also being ​“smart boards” that can capture information such as license plate information without consent.

Beverly Hills/Amity Alder Richard Furlow said the bill would provide some clarity at the city level about who has ultimate authority over such signs, particularly on state roads. The sign in question is on Whalley Avenue, which is a state road. The owner had erected the sign before getting a permit from the state, but he didn’t have to take it down given that the city had already approved it. Alders will be considering an ordinance amendment that would eliminate mini panel and poster signs as permitted uses.

An opponent of the legislation, John Barrett, president of the Outdoor Advertising Association of Connecticut, said cities already have the authority to regulate such signs. He said the new bill would just create additional rules and there are already so many to follow in each town. He said the state sets the foundation, cities can be more strict but they can’t be less strict than the state.

The 2018 Agenda