SF Beautiful Sues Over Billboard Use – curbed

Back in 2002, Proposition G was approved to prohibit new outdoor commercial advertising signs on private property in the city. Now San Francisco Beautiful is suing the City over a settlement it reached with Metro Fuel LLC, a Delaware-based billboard company. In 2007, Metro Fuel LLC sued the city over the constitutionality of Prop G, when the company had permits for 27 of their signs, as well as 84 signs that were deemed illegal. The company reached a settlement with the city saying it would take down its 27 large, legal billboards and replace them with up to 120 smaller panel signs, as well as remove the 84 signs lacking permits and to pay the city $ 1.75 million to settle previous alleged fines. Now SF Beautiful is saying the deal violates Prop G, and that there should have been an environmental review of the federal lawsuit settlement (of course). Why all the drama? The suit claims “Advertising signs create public safety hazards by distracting motorists and pedestrians and…have adverse aesthetic impacts by contributing to blight and clutter.” The lawsuit asks the court to block any permit approvals until there has been a full environmental impact report on the settlement.
· No New Billboards? SF Beautiful Sues City Over Outdoor Advertising Settlement [SF Appeal]
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