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The signs of the times are about to change in L.A., and a lot of people are unhappy about it.
A controversial court settlement between the city and two major outdoor advertising companies could get a judge's approval as early as today, making more than 800 billboards eligible for an upgrade. Changes can include second faces, digital fronts and movable slats.
Following the settlement, something akin to billboard amnesty will take effect. Dozens of outdoor signs that were previously altered illegally can get permits without penalty.
Advocates fighting billboard proliferation say the settlement represents a capitulation by the city to industry giants Clear Channel Outdoor Inc. and CBS Outdoor Inc. They worry that the settlement could have national implications because it would allow companies to sue to circumvent a ban on new signs that the City Council passed in 2002.
"It's an aesthetic and environmental disaster," said Gerald Silver, co-founder of the Coalition to Ban Billboard Blight. "The city is going to look like Las Vegas at its worst."
The settlement arises out of a 2002 city ordinance that would have required billboard companies pay an annual fee to fund a sign inspection program. Several firms sued the city, arguing that the more than $300-per-sign fee was too high and that the program violated free-speech rights. A...