A 17-year ban on digital billboards in Pasco County has ended.
The Pasco County Commission has approved an ordinance to allow an illuminated, multi-image style of billboard advertising.
The ordinance allows digital billboards in exchange for fewer static billboards along the county’s highways.
Digital billboards will be restricted to the county’s major corridors, including segments of Interstate 75, U.S. 19, State Road 54, State Road 52 and U.S. 41.
The unanimous vote, at the Jan. 24 meeting in Dade City, concluded nearly two years of negotiation between the county’s legal staff and the outdoor advertising industry.
Pasco County Commission Chairman Mike Moore said residents can expect to see less blight on the roadway.
“Not that we don’t like billboards and people advertising on them,” he said. “Less is better for the county and the community. Some of these structures that are dilapidated will end up coming down. It will be good to see them go down.”
While voting in favor of the ordinance, Pasco County Commissioner Kathryn Starkey had reservations.
“I worry they’ll take down all the little ones and leave these big monsters all around,” Starkey said.
The swap-out agreement is based on square footage of a static billboard’s face, or the surface area displaying the advertisement. A billboard can have more than one face.
The county’s ordinance would require removal of 4,032 square feet of static billboard advertising for each digital billboard permitted. That is the equivalent of six static billboards to every one digital billboard.
A cap sets a maximum of 37 digital billboards in the county, with more digital allowed in some areas than others.
More than 500 billboard structures are scattered across the county. Under the new regulations, county staff anticipates a maximum of about 190 static billboards could be removed.
“I’m not talking faces, but structures,” said Elizabeth Blair, deputy district attorney for Pasco. “So, that’s a huge difference.”
The swap out, however, is expected to take some time.
Other regulations also are in place.
Each digital advertisement, for instance, must be displayed at least 15 seconds before rotating to a new image.
In addition to limiting the digital billboards to major corridors, the county also has declared some sites off limits for the electronic signs. Those include: The Heart of Land O’ Lakes Vision Plan, Connerton New Town, the Villages of Pasadena Hills Stewardship District and the State Road 52 gateway into Dade City.
On U.S. 19, if a digital billboard is permitted, all of the static billboards within the highway’s targeted area must be removed. On other roads, as digital pops up, half of the removed billboards must be on that same road.
Outdoor advertisers were in general agreement with the negotiated ordinance.
“I know we’re going to hit some snags as we go through, but I think it’s a strong ordinance,” said Tampa attorney Marilyn Healy, whose law firm represents outdoor advertising clients. “We’re very committed to helping the county realize its goals and still have a few digital billboards,” Healy said.
Published February 1, 2017
