Billboard on private property could produce additional revenue for Fountain Valley

A nearly eight-story-high electronic billboard proposal submitted to the city more than three years ago got the go ahead from the Fountain Valley City Council Tuesday, as the panel moved to adopt an ordinance that would allow it to be installed on private property.

The Becker Boards project, which seeks to build a 73-foot-tall electronic message center with two displays at 18375 Euclid St., required a code amendment for the Fountain Valley Crossings Specific Plan. Fountain Valley could see more than $31 million in revenue from the billboard over 40 years.

Council members passed the code amendment and approved a development agreement by a 4-1 vote, with Mayor Pro Tem Kim Constantine dissenting.

Another billboard proposed by Outfront Media received the green light from the council to be built on city-owned land on the opposite side of the 405 freeway in May. That electronic message board would go in at 10955 Ellis Ave., adjacent to the water tower.

Becker Boards will make an initial payment of $60,000 to the city. Once the billboard has been constructed, and upon final approval from the city, the company would then pay an annual fee of $550,000. Every five years thereafter, that fee will increase by 10%.

“The freeway is owned by the state of California,” Councilman Glenn Grandis said. “It’s not owned by the city of Fountain Valley, and one of my big concerns is what happens if the state decides tomorrow to say, ‘You know what, look at all this revenue we have. We’re putting a billboard there instead,’ and they get the revenue.

“To me, I would rather we do it before the state has the chance to do it because anything that’s there will be grandfathered. … Between these two boards, first year alone, I think we’re getting … almost $1.3 million in combined revenue. You don’t think the state wants that money? I think we need to act while we can before the state comes in and takes that over.”

Outdoor advertising signs are not permitted in areas Caltrans identifies as landscaped freeways. The stretch of road from mile marker 12.41 to 12.50 along the 405 Freeway is among the select areas in Fountain Valley that fit that designation, Matt Jenkins, a senior planner for the city, said. Construction would take place in an industrial area adjacent to the 405 and the Santa Ana River.

Fountain Valley resident Katy Wright, in costume as “Bill Bord The Clown,” protests an electronic billboard item at a City Council meeting on Tuesday.

(Andrew Turner)

The new sign would include two 672-square-foot (14 feet high, 48 feet wide) display panels meeting at one end to form a “V” shape. The content displayed on the billboard would be shown to drivers and passengers traveling along the freeway in both directions.

Joseph White, president of Becker Boards, said messages on the panels would remain for at least eight seconds. He also said the company would utilize louver technology to mitigate light spillage.

“The louver technology that would prevent light pollution to different drivers from different angles, this is something new that I really appreciate Becker Boards has come up with for this proposed project,” outgoing Councilman Michael Vo said. “This is one of the requirements that we have had, and this is something that I think will benefit all the drivers on the freeway.”

To bring the Becker Boards sign in step with the Outfront Media project, Mayor Patrick Harper suggested an initial 15-year term that could be renewed for 15 years. There would also be a 10-year option after that. Becker Boards had proposed an initial 40-year term, but White indicated the new terms could be agreed to.

“We’ve added restrictions in the type of advertising that we have within our development agreement,” White said. “No political speech, no marijuana, no tobacco, no adult uses. We’re allowing city branding, where the city can use this to brand city events, and emergency messaging in times where these signs need to be taken over by the state or local jurisdictions.

“This ordinance ... only allows one sign. There’s not going to be a proliferation of billboards created from this, and if they do, they’re going to have to go through the same exact process that I did, and they’re going to have to declassify a freeway, so there’s a big barrier of entry.”

Concerns expressed by the public included the possibility of the sign serving as a distraction for drivers and loss of sales tax due to advertising for out-of-town businesses, as well as the potential light impact on residents, including those living south of the project in Costa Mesa.

Constantine, who has adamantly opposed both billboards, also quibbled with the location.

“We’re going to see it, and this is our coveted Crossings area,” Constantine said. “That’s 162 acres and was rezoned in January 2018 to mixed use from industrial. It’s supposed to be our new downtown with restaurants, nightlife, housing. … I don’t see why we would want to put this there.”

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