Three billboards approved; they might be the last ones

Dan Kulin

Thursday, Sept. 16, 2004 | 9:22 a.m.

Three new billboards for North Las Vegas were approved by a split City Council on Wednesday, and they could be among the last for the city as the council is expected to vote next month on a permanent ban of new billboards.

With three separate 3-2 votes the council on Wednesday approved new billboards for the southeast corner of Lamb Boulevard and Ann Road, the southwest corner of Lamb Boulevard and Interstate 15, and land south of Ann Road on the west side of I-15.

Mayor Michael Montandon and Councilwoman Stephanie Smith voted against all three of the billboard applications.

City staff supported approval for the three billboards, which are proposed for land zoned for industrial use and within the area that billboards are allowed under the current city laws.

Councilman Robert Eliason said that, while he hated approving the billboards, they are allowed under current law.

Attorney Robert Gronauer, who represented Orion Outdoor Media, the company that applied for the three billboards, said the council will be able to review their approval of the billboards in five years. The billboards will be removed if there is other construction on those properties, he said.

City Manager Gregory Rose said the council will probably be presented with a proposed law to ban new billboards on Oct. 6 and could take a final vote on the proposed law on Oct. 20.

Last month the council voted 5-0 to have city staff draft a law that would ban new billboards, which Montandon calls "vertical pollution," from the city.

There are about 120 billboards in North Las Vegas now, according to city figures.

North Las Vegas is not alone in its move to ban billboards.

Earlier this year the Clark County Commission voted to ban new billboards from the unincorporated lands except along I-15 north of North Las Vegas.

And last month the Boulder City Council voted to ban new billboards from its city.