Graphic: DNA
“The Mayor of Miami thinks it’s OK to disregard downtowners’ opinion…
Yesterday, we [Downtown Neighbors Alliance in Miami] received word from the Mayor’s office that he has no intention of pulling the ordinance he’s sponsoring to fill downtown with giant LED billboards…
There are currently several multi-million dollar billboard companies working behind the scenes to turn our neighborhood into a mini-Times Square. With millions of dollars at stake, they have worked with select Miami politicians to change the City Code, in a way that would allow dozens of ultra-bright, 10,000-square-foot LED billboards to pop up overnight in downtown.
This would be a disaster for residents’ quality of life. Those who live here are already being affected negatively by much smaller LED signs.
DNA won a big victory getting an unanimous negative recommendation against this ordinance at the zoning board level.
Now it goes to the Miami City Commission for a vote this Thursday, July 27 at 9 a.m.
The Downtown Neighbors Alliance Board of Directors is asking you to SIGN THIS PETITION and show up at Miami City Hall next Thursday, July 27 at 9 a.m.”
Photo: Miami DNA President James Torres showed up at Miami City Hall with receipts. Using data and info that even the City didn’t have, he convinced the Zoning Board to reject an awful LED billboard proposal – DNA
“Why this matters?
The proposed ordinance change will allow an excessive number of LED billboards to saturate our beautiful downtown. While there may be potential monetary benefits to our City budget, these gains pale in comparison to the negative effects on our City’s aesthetic appeal and reputation.
Miami cannot succumb to the overwhelming presence of billboards; we are not Times Square in New York, Piccadilly Circus in London, or the Shinjuku District in Tokyo.
The proposed illumination standards would allow HUGE 10,000-square-feet billboards to glow with an abusively high brightness of up to 5,000 nits. That would be twice as big (and nearly as bright) as the LED video display boards found in many Major League Baseball stadiums. An apartment across the street and directly facing the billboard would never have to turn on the lights again — the illumination from the billboard shining through the windows would make the inside of that apartment about 20,000 lux, or TWENTY TIMES as bright as the sunlight reaching the inside of an apartment on a clear day. Even blocks away, apartments facing the billboard would be unable to open their blinds or shutters without having the interior of their homes immediately illuminated as if all the lights were on…
Additionally, the proposed legislation would allow LED billboards to remain anchored to buildings during hurricanes, posing a significant safety hazard that cannot be justified.
This is a terrible ordinance, and we need our city leaders to scrap it, with community involvement at every step.”
— James Torres, President of the DNA
Organizations across the state are in support of DNA efforts including Scenic Miami, Venetian Way Neighborhood Alliance, Scenic Florida and others.