Proposed digital billboard would shine into Sacramento homeowners' backyards
SACRAMENTO — Some Sacramento homeowners are speaking out against a plan to build a new billboard that would shine into their backyards.
Clear Channel Outdoor submitted an application to build a new 50-foot tall double-sided digital billboard along Highway 99 near 47th Avenue.
County planning documents show the billboard would be visible from nearby homes.
"I'm going to see this at night," said Lola Williams-Bland, who lives in the area. "It's going to be bright. It's going to light up. That's not good."
Lola and Dennis worry that the billboard's glow will light up their living room. Their neighbor, See Her, said the billboard would shine into her 5-year-old son's bedroom.
"I don't want that bright light in my backyard," she said.
County zoning regulations ban billboards within 500 feet of a residential neighborhood, but documents show this sign would come within just 163 feet of homes.
Eleven mature trees would also need to be removed.
Clear Channel says, if approved, it will pay the county $80,000 a year and allow public service messages on the billboard in between ads.
We reached out to the company for comment on the community's concerns. They wouldn't answer specific questions but company spokesperson Doug Elmets issued a statement saying, in part:
"This project is in early stages, with an application filed, but not yet complete...Clear Channel Outdoor will endeavor to meet all county and state requirements."
But people like Lola Bland say they just want Clear Channel to stay clear of their neighborhood.
"Before they build it, they should get the info from all the neighbors and see how all the neighbors feel," she said. "I feel like no, it shouldn't be there."
Sacramento County says the billboard would still have to be approved by the planning commission and board of supervisors before it could be built.