TEL. (413) 499-9368 – FAX: (413) 395-0152

CITY OF PITTSFIELD

DEPARTMENT OF COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT, CITY HALL, 70 ALLEN STREET, RM 205, PITTSFIELD, MA 01201

TO: Community Development Board

FROM: C.J. Hoss, City Planner

DATE: May 1, 2014

SUBJECT: Billboard Zoning Amendment Petition In addition to requiring a special permit, the proposed zoning amendment prohibits billboards and off premises signs within 500 feet of intersections and sidewalks. In order to quantify this, staff utilized GIS data to determine point locations for stop signs, signalized intersections and crosswalks. Based on the overall land area of the allowable zoning districts (BC – Grouped Business; BG – General Business; BD – Downtown Business; CWS – Commercial , Warehousing and Storage; IG – General Industrial; and IL – Light Industrial) of 4.02 square miles, the zoning amendment would prohibit the construction of new billboards and off premises signs in approximately 49 percent of the area. To provide perspective on the impact of the proposed setback, we also analyzed five other scenarios (attached are maps that illustrate each scenario):

1) 500 feet from signalized intersections and crosswalks – prohibited in 44 percent of the allowable area;

2) 500 feet from signalized intersections – prohibited in 28 percent of the allowable area; 3) 300 feet from all intersections and crosswalks – prohibited in 31 percent of the allowable

area; 4) 300 feet from signalized intersections and crosswalks – prohibited in 28 percent of the

allowable area; and 5) 300 feet from signalized intersections – prohibited in 14 percent of the allowable area.

As described at the last meeting, the Federal Department of Transportation has set guidelines for appropriate site distance at signalized intersections at various speeds. Site distance of an urbanized intersection can exceed 500+ feet when consideration for decision making is factored (see attached).1 From the perspective of the City Master Plan, the document speaks to the City creating zoning mechanisms to enhance the gateways to the City. Given that billboards and off premises signs are generally proposed along the more heavily travelled thoroughfares, the requirement of a special permit does provide more control over development/redevelopment of City gateways. The Board previously received information from the applicant that claims that digital billboards are no more of a safety concern than a static billboard. Staff researched this issue and found sources that claim billboards are not a distraction, but also sources that question the findings of the Federal Highway Administration study and overall concerns about safety. In 2009, Swedish National Road and Transport Administration found that drivers were distracted by billboards and subsequently ordered the deconstruction of all digital billboards. While this is not a conclusion that digital billboards in fact are distracting, it leaves the question open to the Board through this amendment of whether billboards are a significant issue and does the requirement of a special permit and 500 foot setback from intersections and crosswalks adequately allow the Board to continue to analyze the potential impacts.

1 United States Department of Transportation – Federal Highway Administration. “Signalized Intersections: Informational Guide”. Publication No. FHWA-HRT-04-091. August 2004.