One of the goals of the McANA Signage Initiative was to raise community and City/County Council awareness of the signage issue. Here are some related updates.

To improve the beauty of the city, in the 1970s former Mayor Lugar worked to rid the mile square area of Indianapolis of billboards (outdoor advertising) by allowing billboard companies to put up two billboards around the interstate for every one they took down in the mile square. In 1998-99, former Mayor Goldsmith determined that the hodge-podge of newspaper racks that the newspaper publishers placed in approximately the mile square area (boundaries New York St., Alabama, West, and the railroad tracks at Union Station) was unsightly.

The City arranged a 3-4 month trial period in which several alternatives to the individual newspaper racks were evaluated. The modular news rack was selected as the best option and the City/County Council passed a City Ordinance that required the

City to put up uniform news racks or privatize it. The ordinance allows for one advertising sign with a maximum size of 18 sq. feet to be placed on the racks facing the street (the racks the modular racks were to replace had advertising--usually for the newspaper--on three sides).

The City contracted with City Solutions, Inc. (essentially leased a portion of the right-of-way the size of the modular rack for 15 years initially) to provide 80 modular racks in the area mostly where previous racks had been. This was at no cost to the City, no cost to the newspaper publishers, and allowed the sale of eye-level mini-billboards in the center city. City Solution, Inc. was created to provide the modular racks and keep them up. Indianapolis was the first city to contract for this service. This was favored by Indianapolis Downtown Inc. So much for keeping billboards out of the center city!

Now, many times the mini-billboards advertise the “Happenings in Indy”, like the new Indiana State Museum, the World Basketball Championships, the Eiteljorg etc., and the colors blend with the flags flying from the street lamps. Or they put up a public service/public health sign when the modular rack does not have a paying customer. They are not always unpleasant to look at in the context of the city activities. But then there are the mini-billboards for McDonalds that must be included in the picture of the Monument on the Circle from Washington and Meridian. And the numbers keep getting bigger. There is a modular rack on each quadrant of the Circle and one on each corner of Washington and Meridian—all with outdoor advertising that obscures pictures of the monuments and building that tourists might take.

Regulations for these signs are minimal—they have to have a site plan approved for each location with consideration given to utility poles, handicap access, planters, and the need for newspapers at that site. City Solutions, Inc.’s advertising policy is that they do not allow signs that are contrary to public standards. Other than that the sign space rents for $400-$700/month.

While the income generated from these signs may not seem significant, nor may the issue of sign control, mini-billboards are popping up all over the center city blocking the view of beautiful architecture and greenspace. Instead of the City exemplifying sports, art and culture, continuous proliferation of outdoor advertising evokes the image of greed.

According to Mark Mertz, a City attorney, these contracts were negotiated through the Controller’s office and approved by the Mayor. These contracts were announced in the newspapers and were on the agenda and approved by the Administration and Finance Committee of the City/County Council—which means that outdoor advertising and lighting issues crop up in places other than zoning boards and comp plans.

If we want our message about controlling the proliferation of outdoor advertising and lighting to be heard by all who have impact, all departments of city government must be educated—the City/County Council, the Controller, the Mayor and many, many others.  Mr. Mertz suggests position letters from neighborhoods could be sent to Deputy Controller Earl Morgan.