Letter to the Editor: Why the Advertising Overkill on Sunset?

As a 20-year resident of West Hollywood, living one half block north of Sunset Boulevard, I have observed many changes in our neighborhood. Some have been improvements to our little community and others have not.

I am deeply concerned over developers encroaching on our skyline with looming high-rise project proposals and a proliferation of billboard proposals that come before our Planning Commission.

There are four billboard proposals for Sunset businesses on the Weho Planning Commission's agenda this Thursday, June 2. One application in particular for a “new” billboard is atop the roof of at 9039 Sunset Blvd. This proposal and two other billboard proposals went before the Commission a number of weeks back.

The Commission, concerned over the increasing number of these applications and not really interested in adding any more billboards according to the Sunset Specific Plan, sent over to the City Council a request to set up a task force to study the proliferation of billboards applications as developers and property owners see this as a cash cow.

The City Council declined the request for a “task force” and sent it back to the Planning Commission for their June 2 session. Now there are four billboards on the June 2 agenda.

The Key Club application is for a 48’x14’ double sided billboard atop the roof. The Key Club already has v- shaped double electronic billboard on its front façade and an advertising wrap covering the entire east side of the building. Needless to say, the addition of a double sided billboard on the roof of The Key Club already sporting advertising covering a large portion of its exterior is advertising overkill and would create an aesthetic disaster.

Another issue I have with this proposal is what is happening to our skyline. I drive past the Key Club a number of times a day and on four days a week, I walk past it on my way to the Beverly Hills Hotel and then back home again, completing a four-mile walk.

From one of my attached images looking east from Doheny, you see the view of the unobstructed rooftops and blue sky. In another photoshopped image, I placed the approximate 48’x14’ proposed billboard on the same rooftop to see what the view would look like if approved. Keep in mind, the 14’ height of the billboard does not include the at least 6’ tall steel substructure that the billboard is mounted on, which now elevates it to at least 20’ tall from the roof top.

Billboards are a hazardous distraction to the heavy vehicle traffic on Sunset, as well as those in the rest of our city. Billboards are designed to get your attention and looking at one while driving is as bad as texting while driving, which is now illegal.

I would hope the Planning Commission disapproves this and all other billboard proposals and I would like to suggest to them a moratorium on billboard proliferation.

The billboard applications on the agenda for the June 2 Planning Commission meeting are as follows:

• 8335 Sunset Blvd. (three-story office building, single side going to a v-sided, raising 10’ to 70’)
• 8535 Sunset Blvd. (one-story building, replacement, v-shaped going to two-sided, raising height 14’ to 68’)
• 8462 Sunset Blvd. (, new, v-shaped, raising height 14’ to 69’)
• 9039 Sunset Blvd. (, new billboard to 70’)

I hope our Planning Commission does not approve any of these billboards and saves our West Hollywood residential community from the proliferation of these looming graphic eyesores. I also would like any Weho residents that feel similarly to attend this meeting, to sign up and speak out as this is our neighborhood and not the developers. The meeting is at 6:30 PM at the West Hollywood Park Auditorium (647 N. San Vicente Blvd.)

—Richard Rothenberg, West Hollywood resident

West Hollywood Patch accepts Letters to the Editor from residents. Please e-mail yours to Local Editor Danielle Jacoby.