Agenda Item # 10.1 - Jason Hemp | Received 03/20/2023CAUTION: This email originated from an External Source. Please use proper judgment and caution when opening
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From:
To:City Clerk; Mayor Marie Blankley; Council Member Rebeca Armendariz; Council Member Dion Bracco; Council
Member Tom Cline; Council Member Zachary Hilton; Council Member Carol Marques; Council Member Fred
Tovar; Cindy McCormick; Thai Pham; Christina Ruiz; Sharon Goei
Subject:EXTERNAL - Re: 3/20/2023 Council Agenda item 10.1 - Electronic Billboards
Date:Monday, March 20, 2023 12:23:25 AM
Dear Mayor Blankley and Gilroy City Council Members,
I urge you to reject the proposed changes to City Code that would allow electronic billboards
in the City of Gilroy.
There are several reasons why digital billboards are a bad idea - distracting drivers, energy
hogs, wildlife disruption, light pollution, litigation threats, and more. You can view a more
comprehensive list at our website: https://www.billboardsno.org/know-the-issue
The following is a handful of key points that are relevant to the proposal in front of you at
Monday’s meeting:
• Counter to Gilroy’s vision - Gilroy’s own Planning Commission rejected the applicant’s
proposal at the Feb 2nd, 2023 meeting. One of the Commissioners at that meeting cited
General Plan 2040 and stated that this proposal runs counter to the city’s vision statement “to
enhance the culturally rich community with a small-town feel." A long-time Gilroy residents
has also elaborated on this point in a recent Mercury News article that “the city has invested a
fair amount of money into the California welcome center and Visit Gilroy, and the image that
they’re trying to promote is we have golf courses and the wine trail and we have Gilroy
Gardens and healthy activities….An electronic billboard just doesn’t seem to fit that vision.”
• The revenue question - The applicant makes unsubstantiated claims that these billboards
will increase city revenue (indirectly) through a boost to the local economy. However, on page
176 of the Information packet, your own city staff concede that “the City of Gilroy has not
verified the sales tax and economic claims made by the appellant. The City of Gilroy would
need to hire a third party to evaluate economic impacts.” Without question the applicant and
billboard company would certainly benefit.
• Increasing car sales fallacy - the original proposal from 2018 was about promoting car sales
along the Automall. However, a 2012 study found that billboards ads made up only 1% of
influencing car-buying decisions in the US. That same study cited television was by far the top
advertising platform. A more recent study has reaffirmed this is still the case. In a related
article, most prospective car buyers start their research online and that social media
“significantly impacts how we do business such as car buying, with more than 90% of
consumers gathering information online before making a purchase."
• Not promoting local businesses - the applicant’s representative, OutFront Media, claims
that the majority of ads on billboards in the Bay Area promote local business. However, if you
visit a few of OutFront branded digital billboards in Santa Clara along the 101 freeway, you’ll
find that most of the displayed ads are not local. Instead they promote national retail chains
like Nike and 24hr Fitness, casinos and the lottery. You can view a short video demonstrating
this here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEDF-WuhF1E
• Opening the floodgates - Once you allow one or two billboards in your town, more will
follow. Other billboard companies will certainly want a piece of the pie, and are willing to sue
for it. Recently the City of San Jose was hit with a lawsuit by your applicant’s representative,
OutFront Media, challenging a no-bid contract that was awarded to a competitor on city-
owned property. Just Google "Los Angeles billboard litigation" to see how pervasive and
litigious this industry can be.
• Listen to your community - Over 55 of the 60 letters submitted at the last Planning
Commission meeting (~92%) oppose billboards in Gilroy. This is consistent with the findings
of a city-sponsored survey conducted in nearby San Jose that had over 2200 respondents,
where 93% of them opposed new digital billboards.
As a Bay Area resident and occasional visitor to Gilroy, I value the billboard free views along
my commute to your town. I recommend that the City Council reject the applicant’s request
and keep the existing sign ordinance ban.
Thank you.
Jason Hemp
San Jose resident & member of No Digital Billboards in San Jose