11/10/2005
Media Contact:
Justin Ohlemiller, [317] 327-6709 |
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Mayor: Illegal billboards must come down
City’s win in state’s highest court is victory for ‘neighborhood quality of life’
Indianapolis – In a clear and decisive ruling, the state’s highest court granted victory to the city in its case against Pinnacle Media, LLC, a sign company that illegally erected ten billboards along local interstate gateways without city permits. The Indiana Supreme Court’s unanimous decision clears the way for the removal of all ten billboards, something the city wants to see happen in short order, Mayor Bart Peterson said.
In a letter sent today from the city’s Corporation Counsel to Pinnacle representatives, the city is calling for the removal of the ten illegal billboards by Dec. 1.
"This ruling by the Supreme Court is a victory for neighborhood quality of life throughout our city," Peterson said. "For decades we have worked to keep billboards away from the interstate gateways that lead into our center city and historic neighborhoods, maintaining clear views of our downtown skyline and improving the overall aesthetic look of Indianapolis.
"Letting these billboards remain would set a terrible precedent and send a bad message to our neighborhoods," he added.
"We are ecstatic [about the court ruling]," said Norman Pace of the Marion County Alliance of Neighborhood Associations. "We are appreciative of the Mayor’s efforts and the city’s code enforcement staff. This has really been a team effort [working with the community]."
City ordinances prohibit billboards along interstates inside the I-465 loop. In 1999, Pinnacle took advantage of a loophole in existing laws that left land near interstate highways unzoned, erecting two billboards on the Northeast side of the city. Mayor Peterson, working with community leaders and the City-County Council, moved quickly to amend the ordinance, placing the small stretches of right of way near interstates under city jurisdiction and requiring city permits for any construction activity in those areas.
Despite this amendment to local law, Pinnacle continued to erect billboards without local permits, leading to the Supreme Court’s ruling, which found that the ordinance change was on the books before Pinnacle began constructing ten other signs.
"Pinnacle clearly defied our local ordinances, and now they will have to pay the price by taking down these illegal billboards," the Mayor stated.
The Mayor said the city will pursue "whatever legal means necessary" to ensure the removal of all ten signs if the December 1 deadline is not met by Pinnacle.
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