Glendale council narrows digital-billboard ordinance, approves property sale to Direct Outdoor in 4–3 vote

The Glendale Common Council adopted changes to its billboard ordinance and approved an amendment to an agreement with Direct Outdoor for city property along Ironwood Road in a pair of closely contested votes.

City staff introduced an ordinance to amend section 15.6.10 (billboards and other advertising) that would expand the allowed area for digital billboards to locations south of Lexington Boulevard, increase permitted support structures from five to six while maintaining a cap of 10 display faces, and update design and setback standards. Staff said the change would allow one additional pole while keeping the total number of digital faces unchanged.

Residents and council members spent substantial time reviewing the draft for drafting errors and policy details. Resident Robert Cromwell identified multiple ambiguities and likely drafting errors (application form language for digital billboards, swapped dimensions for horizontal vs. vertical faces, and an incorrect civic-billboard address). Staff agreed to correct the ambiguous sentence about back-to-back signs, to fix the swapped dimensions, and to correct the address in the accompanying agreement.

Councilors also debated policy questions: whether expanding the zone northward would extend a commercial corridor, how to avoid clustering signs near residential areas, and whether the planning commission’s discretion could allow billboards in unexpected zoning districts. One edit the council adopted removed permissive language that could have allowed planning-commission exceptions to supplant council oversight for certain permits.

Mayor Kennedy summarized five specific edits the council requested (strike the ambiguous sentence on back-to-back signs, remove vertical digital boards as impractical under height rules, prohibit digital billboards within 200 feet of residential districts, correct the civic-billboard address, and eliminate a redundant spacing clause). Ald. Vukovich moved and Ald. Bailey seconded the amended ordinance. The roll-call vote initially split 3–3; the mayor cast the tie-breaking vote, and the ordinance passed 4–3.

In the same meeting the council approved an amendment to an agreement with Direct Outdoor that would transfer a small triangular city parcel on Ironwood Road in exchange for $300,000 and a 99‑year lease arrangement enabling a billboard. Staff explained this payment reflected an earlier offer tied to a payment‑in‑lieu arrangement and said the parcel otherwise has little municipal utility. Councilors expressed interest in how revenue from such agreements is used; one councilor suggested revenue be directed to the district most affected.

Why it matters: The ordinance revision changes where digital billboards may be sited along I‑43 and how many structural poles the city allows, while maintaining the same cap on the total number of display faces. The property sale creates a long-term commercial lease arrangement and transfers city-owned land used for signage. Both measures change the city’s advertising footprint along a major corridor and were narrowly approved.

Next steps: Staff will incorporate the drafting corrections the council requested and attach the edited, signed ordinance and amended agreement to the city file; the city also expects to finalize the property transaction documentation per the approved amendment.