County’s new billboard ordinance gets first test

Thursday, June 6, 2002 | 8:53 a.m.

Critical observers gave the Clark County Commission mixed reviews for its handling of a flood of new applications for new billboards Wednesday.

The applications for 19 new billboards were the first handled in bulk since the commission approved a controversial new rule governing the "off-premises signs" in February. Of the 19, 12 were approved, the commission delayed actions on three and five applications were denied.

The five that received a thumbs down from the county commission all needed waivers to the 1,500-foot separation requirements from county Rural Neighborhood Preservation zones designed to limit commercial development.

Mary Jane Harvey, chairwoman of the Paradise Town Advisory Board, said the applications signaled that the new law will generate a flood of new billboard applications. She said her board, which advises the commission on land-use issues, has at least a half-dozen more applications to consider next week.

Requests for county approval of new billboards will come in "as quickly as they can fill out the applications," Harvey predicted. "What's happening is exactly what we thought would happen, which is a plethora of applications.

"This will change the entire landscape," she said.

Harvey is particularly concerned about areas south of the city along Interstate 215, the Las Vegas Beltway, and state highways including Blue Diamond Road.

Harvey had opposed many of the new billboard rules. One of her allies was Enterprise Town Advisory Board Chairman John Hiatt.

Hiatt said during Wednesday's zoning board meeting that he was pleased that commissioners respected the law's separation requirements.

"We put a lot of effort into putting that protection into the law," he said. "It's gratifying ... It's the first real test."

Commissioner Mary Kincaid-Chauncey said she was not as gratified that the commission will reject waivers. She suggested that county staff should warn those seeking to place billboards in violation of separation requirements -- which can be from other signs, residences or protected zones -- that they probably will not be approved.

Chuck Pulsipher, county zoning administrator, said that is exactly what would-be applicants will hear based on the precedent set Wednesday by the commission.

"We would tell them that the board has not approved any applications for waivers," he said. "We would counsel them to get minimum separations for any signs."