HESPERIA – The City Council on Tuesday approved a development code amendment that will allow large city-controlled freeway pylon signs along its freeway corridor.
The amendment allows the construction of 85-foot-high signs on property adjacent to the Main Street Freeway Interchange, which is intended to promote business in the city, while keeping both content and aesthetics under the purview of the city.
Hesperia resident Al Vogler finishes addressing the City Council
According to the staff report from City Manager Mike Podegracz, the proposed new sign program “will permit large signs near freeway interchanges in order to provide freeway exposure exclusively for businesses within Hesperia.”
According to the Planning Division’s negative declaration of the freeway pylon sign ordinance – which found no significant adverse environmental impacts with the code amendment – these signs will require an agreement with the city, which will regulate the content and determine the businesses that qualify to advertise on the signs.
Hesperia resident Al Vogler questioned the pylon sign ordinance before its approval on Tuesday, asking council members about the city’s role in regulating the signs.
“Considering the city’s sponsorship of the ordinance, will all entities have an equal opportunity to rent space, or will there be political overtones to this issue?” Vogler asked, reading from his list of concerns. “Will this become a classic situation and potential misuse of equitable free speech?”
The Council offered no further discussion after his comments before voting to approve the ordinance. The ordinance will take effect 30 days from the date of its adoption, according to the staff report.
According to the report, the intent is to provide advertising space for city businesses that are not located on properties adjacent to the freeway, allowing such regulated signs to be be located near freeway interchanges at Bear Valley Road, Main Street, Poplar/ Muscatel Street, Ranchero Road or Oak Hill Road.
According to the provisions of the City Freeway Pylon Sign Program, it is the city’s sponsorship and regulated content of the signs that distinguish them from the commercial billboards.
Hesperia’s Draft City Freeway Pylon Sign Program Regulations set certain qualifications for local business participation, requiring the signs to be designed “substantially similar to the architecture and design proposed by the Planning Division,” while being limited to 85 feet in height, including the city’s name and logo, and incorporating a variety of approved colors and materials (see the Planning Division’s Freeway Pylon Sign study).
City of Hesperia Planning Division’s Freeway Pylon Sign study
In addition, the sign must be owned or leased by the city, or the sign owner must have entered into a City Freeway Sign Program Agreement with Hesperia, while also displaying “city-sponsored and/ or civic activities and events, as well as emergency notices.”
View the Hesperia City Council agenda for Nov. 5 at cityofhesperia.us/ArchiveCenter to access the staff reports.
Hesperia City Council meetings are held at 6:30 p.m. every first and third Tuesday of the month at City Hall, 9700 Seventh Ave. in Hesperia. For more information, call the City Clerk’s office at 760-947-1007.
