At its next meeting Wednesday, the Ukiah City Council will consider authorizing sending a letter to Mendocino County officials regarding a recent proliferation of “under-regulated” billboards in the Ukiah Valley, as well as other that have been “abandoned” for decades.
According to the staff report prepared for the April 17 meeting, “after closely reviewing building permit activity within unincorporated Mendocino County and developing an inventory detailing off-site advertisements and signage (billboards), the city of Ukiah’s Community Development staff determined that, contrary to the policies of the county’s adopted General Plan (2009) and the Ukiah Valley Area Plan (2012), an increased number of (billboards) along major transportation corridors have been recently approved or constructed.”
During the Feb. 7 City Council meeting, Jessie Davis, the city’s Chief Planning Manager, presented an inventory of all the billboards currently within the Ukiah Valley Area Plan (UVAP) area, adding that: “It is very important to note that these signs are in county jurisdiction, meaning the city has no jurisdiction to regulate the signage, and we would need to work with our peers, and our counterparts at the county, to facilitate any action that this council might want to take.
“I really appreciate this being on the agenda,” said Council member Susan Sher. “I’ve seen the same signs for decades, and to me, the most hideous ones are the abandoned ones — they’re not serving any purpose, they’re just old and faded and taking up space. I like the idea of working with the county, but I don’t feel entirely optimistic that it’s going to be productive.”
“Thank you for doing such a thorough inventory,” said Council member Mari Rodin. “It’s appalling how much those billboards are littering our valley, and I feel kind of angry, but I agree (with staff’s recommendation) that we should take a kind and helpful approach.”
To that end, city staff have drafted a letter to the Mendocino County Department of Planning and Building Services regarding the billboards that, in part, encourages county officials to amend their billboard policies “to restrict the installation of new off-site signage, prohibit the use of digital signage, and align (billboard) regulations with the requirements already conveyed by the Coastal Zone of the Town of Mendocino.”
In addition, staff write that “the county is encouraged to continue working with city staff to seek the removal of “Abandoned Signs” and remedy other code-enforcement issues related to signage.”
The meeting will begin at 6 p.m. April 17, and will be held both at the Civic Center at 300 Seminary Avenue, and on Zoom at: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/89361597008
