HomeMy WebLinkAbout04/01/2014 00 Misc Distributed at the Meeting Distributed at the
Meeting 4-1-ti
„ ,01r Barge- Chestnut Neighborhood Association
For a Safe, Viable and Historic Neighborhood
RECEIVED
March 28, 2014 CITY OF YAKIMA
To: Yakima City Council Members MAR 3 1 2014
Cc Tony O'Rourke
OFFICE OF CITY COUNCIL
Cc Steve Osguthorpe
On March 18th, after a short public hearing, the City Council voted to override recommendations by the city
Planning Commission and city staff that no new billboards be allowed in the city of Yakima. The Barge - Chestnut
Neighborhood Association held its annual meeting on March 23rd and voted overwhelmingly to ask the City
Council to consider the following:
Whereas the proposition of allowing new billboards within the city of Yakima affects all its citizens, the BCNA
requests that the Yakima City Council put this issue to the public in the form of a citizen's advisory vote. We also
request that the City extend the moratorium on all new billboards until such time as the advisory vote is
completed. This advisory vote could be placed before the citizens along with the already planned citizen
advisory vote concerning the downtown plaza, thereby saving on costs.
The reasons for this request are as follows: The BCNA noted that, along with a unanimous vote by the Planning
Commission and strong support by city staff, all the testimony at the public hearing by citizens from Yakima
supported the ban on future billboards. The only testimony opposing the ban came from the sign industry
representatives who are from out of the area, even out of State, and one Selah resident. Along with this, there
seemed to be confusion surrounding the vote on the motion to reject the proposal. There was discussion
concerning amortization, which was not part of this. Also, there were several questions, some after the vote, as
to what it was the Council had just voted to do. Even the council member who made the motion to reject the
ban said it was "just made out of my head" and "so we don't have graffiti and a mess with signs ". A citizen
advisory vote, followed by another vote of the City Council would help clarify what the citizens of Yakima really
want, as well as help clarify the Council's vote.
The built environment of a city will either draw business, or drive it away. The BCNA feels billboards within city
limits will do the latter, as well as lower property values, This will have an impact upon, among other things, city
finances in the form of lower property taxes. An advisory vote by the citizens would allow the City Council to see
how Yakima residents actually feel about billboards in their community, and would allow the City Council to truly
represent the citizens who elected them.
Walt Ranta
President Barge- Chestnut Neighborhood Association
BCNA • c/o 211 S. 24 Avenue • Yakima, WA 98902
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