FreeLists / az-observing / [AZ-Observing] East Valley Tribune: House approves electric billboards...

[Greg Askins <gregaskins@xxxxxxx>]

http://www.eastvalleytribune.com/index.php?sty=37415

House approves electric billboards

  By Howard Fischer, Capitol Media Services

March 4, 2005
  Ignoring letters from three observatories, the House of 
Representatives voted Thursday to pave the way for billboards that 
create messages in lights.

The legislation, crafted by a Chandler company that manufactures the 
displays, clears up the legal cloud that exists over whether these kind 
of signs are legal.

  David Jones, an attorney for Young Electric Sign Co., said the 
software that his client has developed ensures the displays will not be 
objectionable. He said the images on the displays will fade in and out 
and not change any more often than every six seconds.

  But Rep. Ted Downing, DTucson, said none of that addresses the real 
problem: Signs with these displays means more light pollution. And 
that, he said, endangers astronomical research in the state.

  "Those telescopes won?t work unless they have skies that they can 
see," he said. Downing said legislators were letting the demands of the 
billboard industry drive out the astronomers and the money they and 
their research bring into the state.

  Downing could not get legislators to agree to a proposal that would 
ban these billboards within 80 miles of any observatory.

  But Rep. Gary Pierce, RMesa, said such restrictions are unnecessary. 
He pointed out that HB2461 still would allow cities and counties to 
enact stricter regulations ? or even ban these illuminated signs 
outright.

  Downing acknowledged some communities have socalled "dark sky" 
ordinances. But he said it makes no sense to force astronomers to 
petition every city and town council and every board of supervisors to 
impose new regulations.

  Jeffrey Pier, director of the U.S. Naval Observatory in Flagstaff, in 
a letter to lawmakers said local regulations are insufficient. He said 
the lights from Phoenix already are "a growing menace to astronomy 
here" more than 120 miles away.

  "The influence of lighting practices and choices in the metropolitan 
Phoenix area, as well as throughout the state, have very wide-ranging 
effects," Pier wrote. "It simply cannot be treated as a local problem."

  Richard Green, director of the Kitt Peak National Observatory, 
complained that the legislation has no maximum level of illumination 
and no requirement to shield the glow.

  Thursday?s vote came after the Arizona Department of Transportation 
decided to adopt a neutral position. ADOT spokesman Doug Nintzel said 
his agency always believed these signs were illegal. But a state 
hearing officer concluded that the statutes are not that clear.

  None of this affects signs on the property of the business being 
advertised. Those already are allowed under federal and state law to 
have flashing lights.

  Downing warned colleagues they don?t understand the implications of 
their vote. "If we don?t pay attention to our astronomy industry we?re 
going to lose it to other states like Hawaii,?? he said.
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