New regs on billboards

Have you ever been driving along the Long Island Expressway and been so distracted by the giant advertising billboards that you find yourself not paying attention to the road?
This is precisely why the NYC Department of Buildings (DOB) has published new regulations for outdoor advertising signage that strengthens the DOB's regulatory authority over them.
Aimed at signs in and around public parks and highways - and prompted by community complaints - the new rules require that outdoor advertising companies register any signs located within 900 feet and in view of an arterial highway or within 200 feet and in view of any public park that is one-half acre or larger.
According to Jennifer Givner, DOB spokesperson, the worst area in the borough is the entrance to the Queens Midtown Tunnel.
&#8220This is a quality of life issue,” said Givner. &#8220It can disturb the aesthetics of a neighborhood and causes potentially unsafe situations.”
The new DOB regulations include a sign registration process, set deadlines for registration, and establish enforcement and penalty procedures for non-compliance.
Once the new rules go into effect on August 25, outdoor advertising companies will have 60 days to submit applications to register their companies and their signs. During the following 60 days, the DOB will review all applications and approve or deny registrations. Where applications are approved, the DOB will assign a registration number to the company. The company’s name and registration number, along with the permit number for each sign, must be displayed on the sign within 90 days of approval.
Failure to comply may result in penalties ranging from $5,000 to $25,000 per day, in addition to the risk of sign removal, revocation of registration for the outdoor advertising company and potential exclusion from bidding on city contracts for a period of five years.
&#8220These rules, and their significant penalties for offenders, give our inspectors and attorneys meaningful tools to help ensure that outdoor advertising companies are held accountable to the signage laws,” said Buildings Commissioner Patricia J. Lancaster.