Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Billboard Moratorium topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Hammond extends billboard moratorium 90 days amid business concerns and call for clearer rules
Summary
Council votes to extend a 90‑day moratorium on off‑premise signs and billboards while planning and zoning refines recommendations; a local billboard company asked that permit applications submitted before the original moratorium be allowed to proceed, and council discussed variance procedures for hardship cases.
The Hammond City Council on Aug. 12 approved a 90‑day extension of a moratorium on acceptance of applications and permits for off‑premise signs and billboards to allow planning and zoning to finalize recommendations.
Paxton Morrow of Bayou Signs Outdoor told the council two permits were submitted weeks before the moratorium and requested they be processed. Administration said any application in process that could be fully approved before a moratorium takes effect would stand, but applications that were still under review when the moratorium is active would be affected. Staff also noted the draft ordinance includes a variance procedure for cases of undue hardship or where the public interest justifies an exception.
Council members expressed competing concerns: some said the city needs clearer rules because recent permit activity produced more billboards than expected, while others warned an extended moratorium could harm small businesses seeking lawful advertising. The council voted to extend the moratorium with several members supporting the additional time to allow planning and zoning to clarify its recommendation.
What happens next: Planning and zoning will revisit the draft, clarify the recommended language and the availability of variance procedures, and return a clarified recommendation to the council within the extension period.
