City council OKs new billboard rules

The new regulations went into effect this week.
By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
GIRARD -- Those looking to put up billboards and other advertising devices here now have a set of rules and regulations to follow.
Mayor James Melfi earlier this week vetoed new legislation governing billboard placement, but council overturned that decision in a 6-1 vote. The new rules go into effect immediately.
Before the installation of the new rules, the city had a moratorium on new billboards being placed within city limits.
According to Melfi, residents had made it clear that less commercialization with a more "hometown feel" would be good for the city, and limiting new billboards would be a good place to start. The mayor said he is not happy with the new legislation.
"This new legislation did not provide anything to our city, it is actually going to take away from the city. I don't think billboards have a place here," he said. "It is a great day for the billboard companies."
What's involved
Melfi had wanted council to consider two changes to the proposed regulations before passage. Council decided to make one of the changes requested by the mayor.
The original proposed regulations would not allow any new billboards to be placed between Gordon Street and the northern city limits. Melfi asked, and council agreed, to extend the no-new-billboard zone several hundred feet back to the Golf Dome.
Melfi also asked that the new regulations prohibit businesses from using outside wall space to advertise for a separate business. He said businesses should be permitted to use their space to advertise only for what is offered at that particular business. That request was not added to the new regulations.
Tom Seidler, 3rd Ward councilman, said the majority of council felt the former rules governing billboards were "contradictory and weak." He said the general feeling was to put more concrete rules in place.
"The majority of council's opinion was that this is a good piece of legislation and a necessary piece of legislation," he said.
jgoodwin@vindy.com