Elk Grove Planning Commission Hears Request For Tall Billboard

June 9, 2014 | The Elk Grove Planning Commission heard a request at their Thursday night meeting for a freeway billboard that will be o...

June 9, 2014 |

The Elk Grove Planning Commission heard a request at their Thursday night meeting for a freeway billboard that will be over 20-feet higher the Elk Grove Automall’s billboard and features a large fiberglass elk statue at the top.

The request is being made by Bruce Bishop of Monuments Partners, Fairfield, Calif., on behalf of the Full Gospel Church of Elk Grove, located on East Stockton Boulevard between Bond Road and Elk Grove Boulevard.  Bishop, who assisted Elk Grove gas station and fast food operator Gil Moore in successfully lobbying the Elk Grove City Council to strip the city’s former billboard ordinance that discouraged visual blight, is seeking approval for 76.5-foot tall billboard for non freeway adjacent businesses.

In his presentation, Bishop said taller billboards are an asset to Elk Grove businesses and said he has not received any negative comments about the signs he has erected. 

Bishop went on to say that when he installs billboards, he wants to place a decorative item on them that conveys a message specific to that locale.  The cost of this proposed sign is $350,000.

“Seventy-six feet may seem high sir, but if you will notice, everything we did above 60-feet we did for decorative purposes,” Bishop said. 

“We are trying to create elements that are noteworthy and say something about your city,” he said. “We are tying to tell the story of Elk Grove.”

Bishop also noted than he is in the process of developing another billboard for Elk Grove noting it will feature a scale sized fiberglass Wells Fargo-type stagecoach atop of it, but did not specify its location. 

After the commission split the matter into two parts to accommodate another agenda item and continued it until their July 17 meeting, commissioners did express varying degrees of concern on the proposal.  

Commissioner George Murphey expressed concern that the planning commission’s actions would be precedent setting. According to the staff report, the 76.5-foot tall sign complies with development standards.

“As you drive down 99, in some of these cities, these are distracting signs,” he said. “This is what I was afraid of with this ordinance.”

Conversely, Commissioner Sparky Harris said he is supportive of tall highway billboard as they have aided him in his travels.

“I kind of agree that when you going along the freeway, it is nice to glance up, and I don’t even have to read, I see the red and yellow and know that is McDonald’s,” Harris said. “The height doesn't offend me.”

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5 comments

Peppermint Patty said...

I suspect this is a trial balloon for Gil Moore's sign. Once Bishop gets this 76 foot sign approved, the sky is the limit, so to speak, for Moore's sign.

Bishop said so much when he said "he is in the process of developing another billboard for Elk Grove saying that will feature a scale sized fiberglass Well Fargo-type stagecoach atop."

Maybe Elk Grove will become that destination city - Elk Grove, The Home of Tacky Billboards!

Anonymous said...

Wow, this planning commission has again shown their true colors. The citizens worked hard to get a sign ordinance passed so that uniformity, size, height, color, neon lights, flashing signs, etc are limited in scope. The citizens took many months, many meetings and lots of input to establish the sign ordinance. Now, a few lousy developers want 75 foot advertisement beacons and the citizens sign ordinance has been disseminated. So, who runs this town; those damn lousy developers. How in the hell did this planning commission not recognize the concerns of the citizens on this subject. I guess, this is the best they could do? Perhaps it’s time to abolish this commission. They have become nothing but "yes men". If this is how Chaires is going to react to developers, then she cannot be allowed onto the council. We have too many developer-driven members as it is. When is the citizen going to be represented? Where is Jeff Owens? He needs to run!

Anonymous said...

.




What is next?

A record topping 100 foot sign with a fiberglass pile of Elk poo on top?


This place is going to look like Vegas without the hookers, lap dance parlors, casinos, outlet malls, mega gun stores, huge indoor shooting ranges.


Join us for the Arm Pits of the Vslley Tour as we visit the following garden spots:

Stockton

Yuba City

Fresno

Modesto

Turlock

and now.....

Elk Grove Thriving!




.

Anonymous said...

.





“We are trying to create elements that are noteworthy and say something about your city,” he said. “We are tying to tell the story of Elk Grove.”


The story of Elk Grove as told by his proposed MEGA sign:


Fast food joints, chain restaurants, gas stations, chain restaurants.....



.

Peppermint Patty said...

As much as we may not like some of the recent decisions coming out of the planning commission, lets keep in mind they are really nothing more than a paper tiger.

To their credit, they unanimously voted against the sign ordinance only to have the city council fully embrace it.

Having said that, they really showed a lack of concern about the height of this thing. If they have no problem with it, just imagine how the council will embrace it.

Before long Gil Moore and Bruce Bishop will be back with a 100 + foot sign complete with a stage coach. They will use some justification about having it tall enough so both north and southbound drivers, so as Harris said, drivers see the red and yellow and know that is McDonald’s.”

Great legacy the current council is building for themselves and Elk Grove - destination city!

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