Wheat Ridge council opens study on digital billboards, agrees to refine rules for city-owned signs

WHEAT RIDGE, Colo. — The Wheat Ridge City Council on a February study session reviewed options to allow digital billboards within the city and to create a single regulatory category for signs on city-owned property, with staff and industry representatives urging careful standards and a return to the council with draft code changes.

City staff presented three linked topics: whether to amend the sign code to allow digital billboards, how to define and standardize signage on city-owned property, and whether to pursue a public–private partnership that could place digital message signage on municipal sites. Lauren, city staff, told the council she had not made a specific staff recommendation and that the memo was intended to outline code implications and next steps.

The discussion followed public comment by Steve Shin of OutFront Media, who said his company would be interested if the city allows digital billboards and urged use of a public procurement process for city property. Todd Messenger, an attorney representing Lamar Advertising, said digital billboards can offer “even lighting” and dim to low brightness at night and argued they are beneficial for emergency messaging and local advertising. “These are really expensive displays. They’re really good quality. And they dim to about 10% brightness at night,” Messenger said.

Why it matters: council members said the issues touch appearance, traffic safety, local business promotion and emergency communications. Several…