Planning commissioners recommend drafting ordinance to regulate electronic billboards

The Beaumont Planning Commission on April 22 recommended that City Council consider directing staff to draft an ordinance to regulate electronic billboards along major corridors, after a staff workshop and community survey presentation.

Stephen Jones of the Community Development Department told commissioners Beaumont currently prohibits new electronic billboards except by development or relocation agreements and that staff had received inquiries about digital displays as development along the I‑10 corridor continues. Jones said regulatory tools could include take‑down ratios to remove older nonconforming structures, spacing limits, restrictions near residential areas, limits on animation and brightness, and requirements for public‑benefit provisions such as emergency‑message time and revenue sharing.

Julie Van Hook, the city’s public information officer, presented results from an eight‑week, non‑scientific survey posted on social media and the city website. Van Hook said the survey drew under 200 respondents, roughly 90% of whom identified as Beaumont residents, and that roughly 70% of respondents were neutral to supportive of the city generating revenue from billboards and of providing space for community messaging. She said the most common public concerns were proximity to neighborhoods, brightness, driving distractions and visual clutter.

Commissioners questioned jurisdictional limits and technical details. A commissioner asked whether Caltrans or the city takes precedence for freeway‑adjacent signs; staff answered that it depends on location and permits, and that the city could adopt more restrictive local rules while accounting for Caltrans review. Commissioners discussed buffer distances, with several suggesting an order‑of‑magnitude buffer (examples discussed: 500–1,000 feet) or corridor‑based rules; others urged limiting digital signs near residences and protecting view sheds. Commissioners also raised dark‑sky and nighttime controls (dimming or shutoff periods), and sought mechanisms to ensure emergency‑message overrides.

Leslie Lockett, real estate manager for Lamar, a major outdoor‑advertising company operating in the region, testified during public comment that Lamar typically avoids installing digital billboards in residential neighborhoods, that Caltrans requires permits and has rules (including a 1,000‑foot proximity-to‑business rule mentioned in her remarks), and that digital signage can be configured to limit light spill to nearby homes. Lockett and an emailed comment from Theodore Stream of Lamar suggested corridor‑based or conditional‑use frameworks that would enable conversions in exchange for public benefits such as removal of older static billboards and provision of emergency messaging.

After discussion, the Commission made and seconded a motion to recommend that City Council consider directing staff to draft an ordinance regulating electronic billboard outdoor advertising. The motion passed on a roll‑call vote with commissioners voting in the affirmative (recorded as Commissioners Southern, Copeland, Vice Chair Cueva and Chairman Smith). The recommendation asks Council to authorize staff to prepare a legally defensible, community‑informed ordinance addressing placement, design, operational standards and public benefits; final approvals would occur at Council on Planning Commission recommendation.

Next steps: staff will prepare draft ordinance materials for Council consideration and return to the Commission as part of the public review process. The Commission adjourned at 6:45 p.m.; staff also noted scheduling for the Climate Adaptation/Action Plan review on May 27.