---
[ ARCHIVE ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive)
# Violation? What Violation? Many Altered Billboards Left off City’s List
October 22 2015
Written by Dennis Hathaway.
[](https://www.addtoany.com/share)
BILLBOARD WATCH-The billboard pictured here (left) on Olympic Blvd. in LA’s Koreatown area is 16 feet higher than allowed by its permit, according to city inspection records. However, the sign owned by Outfront Media is nowhere to be found on a list of 391 billboards the city says have been altered in violation of their permits.
That list is based upon a citywide billboard inventory and inspection completed in 2014 by the city’s Department of Building and Safety. But a previous inventory, made public in 2012, shows that nearly 200 billboards altered in violation of their permits have not been included in the 2014 count.
The 391 billboards on the current list have almost all had second faces added without permits. Most of the altered billboards left off the list are higher or larger than specified by their permits, according to the 2012 inventory.
While some of the violations are relatively minor, many are not, such as the aforementioned billboard on Olympic Blvd. A number are between 10 and 16 feet higher than permitted, while others fall into the range of five to 10 feet higher. The inspection data doesn’t show whether the billboards were raised at some point after erection, or originally put up in violation of their permits.
The 2012 inventory also shows many billboards larger than permitted that aren’t on the 2014 list of altered signs. Again, some variations are minor, while other billboard faces exceed their permitted size by upwards of 30 percent.
In addition, the 2012 records contain a number of billboards that have had second faces added in violation of their permits but aren’t listed as altered in the 2014 list.
The City Council’s PLUM committee has proposed granting “amnesty” to the 391 billboards currently listed as altered. The City Attorney has publicly opposed such an action, and the matter is now before the City Planning Commission, which is scheduled to resume discussions of the proposed amnesty and other sign ordinance issues on Oct. 22.
Lest anyone argue that all the height and size violations are minor, consider the fact that last winter a billboard on Lankershim Blvd. in the San Fernando Valley toppled on a windy night and nearly hit an occupied car. That billboard was eight feet higher than specified by its permit, and it may have been more vulnerable, structurally, than a billboard at the permitted height.
And a billboard 58 ft. high, such as the one in the photograph above, is certainly more visible at a longer distance than one at the permitted height of 42 ft. Just as a billboard with an ad space 30 per cent larger than permitted clearly has more impact on its intended audience of motorists inching along in the city’s notorious traffic.
*(Dennis Hathaway is the president of the [Ban Billboard Blight coalition](http://banbillboardblight.org%20) and a CityWatch contributor. He can be reached at: [**Dennis@banbillboardblight.org**](mailto:Dennis@banbillboardblight.org)*. *) Edited for* CityWatch *by Linda Abrams.*
*CityWatch*
*Vol 13 Issue 86*
*Pub: Oct 23, 2015*
*{module \[1177\]}*
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/115 "Brian Goldsmith Vertical R. Col")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/107 "LA DWP | Save $4K, Green | Priority Ad")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/114 "McKinney Campaign")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/82 "LA DWP #2 (Power Savers)")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/98 "Donna Tryfman - HS1-1")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/97 "Home - LA DWP #2 (Pay Water Bill Help)")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/111 "David DeJute Campaign")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/112 "Anna Reitano Vertical R. Col")
## Get The News In Your Email Inbox Mondays & Thursdays
Name
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/113 "Rhonda Haymon campaign")
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/component/banners/click/110 "Something You Should Know")
---
## Featured CityWatch Stories
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/election-2024/33624-prosecutor-democrat-city-attorney-mckinney-makes-his-case-to-los-angeles-voters)
### [Prosecutor, Democrat, City Attorney? McKinney Makes His Case to Los Angeles Voters](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/election-2024/33624-prosecutor-democrat-city-attorney-mckinney-makes-his-case-to-los-angeles-voters)
ELECTION 2026 - The race for LA City Attorney has been laced with political accusations and allegations that when close…
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/la-watchdog/33544-the-la-watchdogs-2026-voters-guide-2)
### [The LA Watchdog’s 2026 Voter Guide](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/la-watchdog/33544-the-la-watchdogs-2026-voters-guide-2)
LA WATCHDOG - My recommendations are influenced by the need for truly balanced budgets, fiscal responsibility, long ter…
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33626-the-fools-blame-game)
### [The Fools’ Blame Game](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33626-the-fools-blame-game)
THE VIEW FROM HERE - Angelenos do not use elections to plot a wiser course of conduct for Los Angeles, but rather they…
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33619-california-film-tax-credits-arent-enough-the-guilds-need-to-change-too)
### [California Film Tax Credits Aren’t Enough. The Guilds Need to Change Too.](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/los-angeles/33619-california-film-tax-credits-arent-enough-the-guilds-need-to-change-too)
LONNIE’S VIEW - California used to be the center of the movie and television universe. If you wanted to make movies, yo…
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/voices/33648-heres-what-zionisms-got-to-do-with-it)
### [Here’s What Zionism’s Got To Do With It](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/voices/33648-heres-what-zionisms-got-to-do-with-it)
ICAN - The anonymous website “BHUSD Watch” recently published a long, detailed article about the current BHUSD board an…
---
## [ ARCHIVE ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive)
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/15339-early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles)### [Early Intervention and Jobs are Key to Stemming Chronic Homelessness in Los Angeles](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/15339-early-intervention-and-jobs-are-key-to-stemming-chronic-homelessness-in-los-angeles)
### [Tucker Carlson and Gay Rightwinger Blame California Wildfires On Hiring LGBTQ People](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/18755-tucker-carlson-and-gay-rightwinger-blame-california-wildfires-on-hiring-lgbtq-people)
### [Anti-LGBTQ Veep Just Can’t Stop Talking about Mayor Pete](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/17690-anti-lgbtq-veep-just-can-t-stop-talking-about-mayor-pete)
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/15316-news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties)### [NEWS PULSE: ‘Corrupt System’ Reason for Not Voting in 2018 … Majority Wants More Than Two Parties](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/15316-news-pulse-corrupt-system-reason-for-not-voting-in-2018-majority-wants-more-than-two-parties)
[  ](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/10245-dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles)### [Dead Dog Set on Fire … Sparks Fears for Strays in Los Angeles](https://ded2209.inmotionhosting.com/~citywa9/archive/10245-dead-dog-set-on-fire-sparks-fears-for-strays-in-los-angeles)