Sign Industry: Tulsa's Billboards Too Bright

[sauerkraut]

I don't mind them. Long ago Gwen Freeman on her KFAQ talk radio show mentioned that Tulsa was going to ban those bill boards, guess not, or they changed their minds.

[dsjeffries]

Has anyone noticed how incredibly bright the new electronic billboard is at The Wisdom Center at 15th & Delaware? I first noticed it driving west down 15th at Harvard but from that distance, it just looked like a police car or fire truck had its lights going. I slowed down as I approached the hill and was shocked to see this sign. It's WAY too bright (brighter than most billboards I've seen except for the sign at River Spirit Casino), and I believe it violates the part of the ordinance that limits how often images change. The images change very, very quickly and I believe it's a hazard.

Patric, isn't this close to your place? And does this fall into City Council District 4?

Do marquees for event centers fall under this law?

I would assume any outdoor electronic sign would be subject to the same ordinances, but I'm not sure.

[patric]

Has anyone noticed how incredibly bright the new electronic billboard is at The Wisdom Center at 15th & Delaware? I first noticed it driving west down 15th at Harvard but from that distance, it just looked like a police car or fire truck had its lights going. I slowed down as I approached the hill and was shocked to see this sign. It's WAY too bright (brighter than most billboards I've seen except for the sign at River Spirit Casino), and I believe it violates the part of the ordinance that limits how often images change. The images change very, very quickly and I believe it's a hazard.

Wisdom Center, Sonic, etc, fall under the category of on-site "Business Signs"
as opposed to "Outdoor Advertising Signs" like Lamar, Whistler. Stokely...



Go to Neighborhood Inspections at
http://www.cityoftulsa.org/reporting/advertising-sign-violations.aspx

You will have to specifically cite which (and any other applicable) section(s) when you report the violation to Neighborhood Inspections or MAC, otherwise, they wont understand your complaint. 
I dont mean for that to sound snobby, but in the past I have had inspectors dispose of complaints because they didn't understand that the complaint was about illegal operation (and not about having a construction permit).


Ordinances that apply to Billboards ("Outdoor Advertising Signs") and "Outdoor Business Signs" (located on the property of the business) are Zoning Code of the City of Tulsa, Title 42 section 1221.   
http://www.incog.org/city%20of%20tulsa%20zoning%20code/Internet%20Zoning%20Code-all%20one%20document.pdf

Section "C" is for on-premise "Business Signs"
while Section "F" is for billboards.




On-site "Business Signs":

C. General Use Conditions for Business Signs
2. Flashing signs, digital signs, changeable copy signs, running light or twinkle signs, animated signs, revolving or rotating signs or signs with movement shall be subject to the following limitations.
f. No such digital sign shall display an illuminative brightness of such intensity or brilliance that it impairs the vision or endangers the safety and welfare of any pedestrian, cyclist, or person operating a motor vehicle.
g. No such digital sign shall resemble or simulate any warning or danger signal, or any official traffic control device, sign, signal or light.



If you find out it's an electronic billboard not on the business owner's property ("Outdoor Advertising Sign") the following would apply:


G. Additional Use Conditions for Digital Outdoor Advertising Signs. In addition to the use conditions prescribed for outdoor advertising signs in subsection 1221.F., digital outdoor advertising signs shall also comply with the following use conditions:
1. Digital outdoor advertising signs shall only display a static message or messages.
2. Digital outdoor advertising signs which display more than one static message shall do so sequentially, with each static message having a dwell time of no less than eight ( 8 ) seconds and a transition time between static messages of no more than one (1) second.
3. Digital outdoor advertising signs shall not display an illuminative brightness exceeding five hundred (500) NITs at any time between one half (1/2) hour after sunset until one half (1/2) hour before sunrise or six thousand five hundred (6,500) NITs between one-half (1/2) hour before sunrise until one-half (1/2) hour after sunset.
4. Use conditions establishing the minimum dwell time and maximum illuminative brightness levels for digital outdoor advertising signs codified in subsection 1221.G. shall be subject to future modification and regulation in the exercise of the City's police powers and no vested right shall ever be created in these use conditions.
5. Digital outdoor advertising signs shall not display an illuminative brightness of such intensity or brilliance that they impair the vision or endanger the safety and welfare of any pedestrian, cyclist, or person operating a motor vehicle.
6. Digital outdoor advertising signs shall not resemble or simulate any warning or danger signal, or any official traffic control devise, sign, signal or light.
7. Digital outdoor advertising signs shall not be permited to operate unless they are equipped with:
a. a default mechanism that shall freeze the sign in one position or static message if a malfunction occurs; and
b. notwithstanding paragraph 1221.G.3., a mechanism able to automatically adjust the display's illuminative brightness according to natural ambient light conditions by means of a light detector/photo cell by which the sign's brightness shall be dimmed.


The biggest complaint is that fast strobing of LED signs can be confused for emergency vehicles' LED lights, however, I recommend you download and read all of the signs section as it may include other violations you may have overlooked. 

[dbacks fan]

A small victory for patric albeit from Arizona that everyone thinks is just as crazy as Florida.

http://www.azcentral.com/news/politics/articles/2012/03/28/20120328brewers-st-veto-year-rejects-electronic-billboards.html

[hello]

Has anyone noticed how incredibly bright the new electronic billboard is at The Wisdom Center at 15th & Delaware? I first noticed it driving west down 15th at Harvard but from that distance, it just looked like a police car or fire truck had its lights going. I slowed down as I approached the hill and was shocked to see this sign. It's WAY too bright (brighter than most billboards I've seen except for the sign at River Spirit Casino), and I believe it violates the part of the ordinance that limits how often images change. The images change very, very quickly and I believe it's a hazard.

Patric, isn't this close to your place? And does this fall into City Council District 4?

YES!!! I just moved to Florence Park and turning onto 15th from Delaware at night is so hard because that sign is blinding! I quickly learned to just not go that way anymore.

[patric]

For reference, Pittsburgh's sign ordinance:
http://www.pittsburghpa.gov/dcp/files/Sign_Legislation_2011-1916.pdf

Nighttime brightnesses of 100-125 Nits for areas away from the city core:
http://www.illinoislighting.org/billboards.html

[DolfanBob]

You wanna see something a little to bright. You should check out Broken Arrows new scoreboard at the stadium. They could almost play the game by it's lights only.

[Weatherdemon]

You wanna see something a little to bright. You should check out Broken Arrows new scoreboard at the stadium. They could almost play the game by it's lights only.

There is a sign on 169 near 66th st N that is so bright it looks like a space is landing there when driving north from 36th st.
The sign is so bright you can barely read the ads.

[patric]

There is a sign on 169 near 66th st N that is so bright it looks like a space is landing there when driving north from 36th st.
The sign is so bright you can barely read the ads.

Did you report it to code enforcement?
http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=13198.msg232493#msg232493

[Weatherdemon]

Did you report it to code enforcement?
http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/index.php?topic=13198.msg232493#msg232493

Just did.

Thanks for the link.

[patric]

Just did.
Thanks for the link.

Saw where it's getting a few more complaints:

http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Bright-billboard-blinding-drivers-in-Owasso/29IUrIiBdkW3QXvzcnojDQ.cspx
http://www.fox23.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=3811357&navCatId=19942

Besides over-brightness, it's essentially a TV screen on a stick, with animations and insufficient dwell time between frames.

Keep in mind, when "authorities" say it's "perfectly legal" they may only be referring to whether or not it was legally constructed, NOT legally operated.

[Weatherdemon]

Saw where it's getting a few more complaints:

http://www.fox23.com/news/local/story/Bright-billboard-blinding-drivers-in-Owasso/29IUrIiBdkW3QXvzcnojDQ.cspx
http://www.fox23.com/mediacenter/local.aspx?videoId=3811357&navCatId=19942

Besides over-brightness, it's essentially a TV screen on a stick, with animations and insufficient dwell time between frames.

Keep in mind, when "authorities" say it's "perfectly legal" they may only be referring to whether or not it was legally constructed, NOT legally operated.

They say its legal but have to provide tips for how to deal with them when driving by?

[Weatherdemon]

The City of Tulsa called me back and said its outside of their jurisdiction.

[Hoss]

The City of Tulsa called me back and said its outside of their jurisdiction.

It's probably either Owasso or the county then.

[Ed W]

This should give you an idea of the light output from this sign:



Granted, that's a long exposure as you can see from the passing cars, but it lights up the trees and the RR bridge very nicely.