Aurora council approves 20‑year digital gateway sign agreement; locations outside airport to go to planning

The Aurora City Council on Dec. 17 approved a 20‑year lease agreement with BRT Outdoor LLC to install digital multiple‑message gateway signs at selected locations in the city, including a new sign at Aurora Municipal Airport. The company will finance and construct the signs at no direct cost to the city in return for commercial advertising inventory on the displays, with the city receiving a guaranteed community message slot.

Council adopted language requiring that any subsequent sign locations under the agreement be processed as final plans at the Board of Zoning and Engineering (BZ&E) and be appealable to the full city council; the amendment passed after council debate about location control and public review.

What the agreement provides: BRT said the airport sign would be a larger, site‑specific installation (the presentation showed a roughly 30‑foot monument with a 9‑by‑18 digital face); other signs proposed in the packet use a 2:1 ratio with a maximum contractual cap of about 8 by 16 feet for gateway locations. BRT said its displays follow IDOT light and movement restrictions and that signs would not exceed 300 lumens, and that most messages would run with a ten‑second dwell time per ad and an overall rotation that gives the city a fixed community message slot every cycle.

City benefits and limits: BRT will pay construction and recurring maintenance; the city receives one fixed, non‑rotating slot for civic messages at each sign and no charge for artwork for those messages. BRT said it offers discounted rates for nonprofit organizations and that roughly 20 percent of its inventory typically serves nonprofit or civic uses in other markets.

Council concerns and controls: Aldermen questioned safety, visual impact and the potential for digital displays to resemble billboards. Staff and BRT representatives cited federal and academic safety studies, IDOT regulations and the company's technical limits to address glare and motion. The council also debated how many signs might be sited across town; staff and the company said suitable locations are constrained by right‑of‑way, scenic‑route restrictions and IDOT approvals and that a modest number of installations is likely.

Vote: The resolution authorizing the agreement as amended passed by roll call, 9–3. Opposing votes and several aldermen voiced concerns about monument size and siting. The amendment requiring final‑plan review at BZ&E — and opportunity for council appeal — passed in a separate action before the final approval.

Ending: With council authorization, staff will move forward on the airport installation and will present future proposed sign locations to BZ&E for final plan review and public input. BRT representatives said the airport sign rendering in the packet would guide the look and landscaping for future signs.