Board approves video-screen signs at American Family Field with visibility limits

The Board of Zoning Appeals on Thursday approved a request by the Milwaukee Brewers to install two video-screen signs at 1 Brewers Way, subject to conditions aimed at reducing visibility and distraction from nearby State Trunk Highway 175.

Department of Public Works told the board the proposed video displays raised safety concerns because “signs with flashing intermittent or moving sections distract drivers and create dangerous driving conditions caused by distracted driving.” DCD also flagged visibility from the highway. Brewers representatives Elizabeth Haas, senior vice president and general counsel, and Steve Ethier, senior vice president of stadium operations, said the screens are intended primarily for game-day use to project pregame entertainment and the scoreboard feed and that additional mature trees have been transplanted to improve screening.

Board members debated the traffic-safety risk, the elevation of the proposed 20-foot-high structures and whether plantings would be an adequate mitigation. The applicants said the displays would be used mainly when the stadium is active; Haas noted the team had added tree plantings and asked the board to consider on-site use restrictions. The board approved the variance and special-use request to run with the land and attached conditions reflecting DPW recommendations, including limits on motion/video content and expectations for additional screening and the applicant’s plan of operation.

The board’s approval was unanimous after discussion and with conditions in the hearing summary. The decision leaves technical compliance — including any required permits and final plan revisions — to city staff review.