DCRA Announces Crack Down on Illegal Billboards

Today, the Department of Consumer & Regulatory Affairs (DCRA) announced that it would begin an effort to identify and seek removal of illegal billboards around the city.  The announcement came in response to a request from the Mount Vernon Square Neighborhood Association (MVSNA), which noted the despite the District's long-standing moratorium on the erection of new billboards, there are numerous billboards throughout the city that do not appear to be legal.  

MVSNA raised the issue as part of its ongoing efforts to address vacant and nuisance properties.  The billboards contribute to the problem by providing a means for derelict owners to receive a handsome profit, providing a financial incentive for properties to remain vacant for the foreseeable future rather than put into productive use that contributes to the safety and aesthetics of community.  The billboards are often a source blight in the surrounding neighborhood.  

MVSNA raised what appear to be several unpermitted billboards located on a former used car lot on the 300 Block of New York Avenue NW, a vacant lot at the corner of 9th and L Streets NW, and a liquor store wall at the corner of 9th and P Streets NW.  Billboards located at New Jersey Avenue, 4th Street, and P Streets NW, which residents have observed contributing to squatting and illegal parking, appear, however, to be among those "grandfathered in" through permits issued in 1961.

"We encourage all residents to let us know the location of billboards or other outdoor signs they suspect are unauthorized so that we can conduct a full investigation," said DCRA Director Argo.  To that end, DCRA has asked residents to "provide information about any sign they believe may be unauthorized, including the location, a photograph (.jpg), and any detail from the sign that indicates the owner and owner contact information."  Effective today, such information can be sent to a new e-mail address: signs.dcra@dc.gov.

In response to concerns expressed by MVSNA, the Bates Area Civic Association, and individual residents, DCRA is creating an inventory of all legally authorized outdoor signs.  Once DCRA has created an accurate inventory, inspectors will investigate any signs that are posted, but for which DCRA does not have permitting information on file.  DCRA should be able to promptly and accurately determine the legality of billboards erected in recent years, but notes that they are unlikely to have records of building permits issued more than forty years ago for legally grandfathered billboards.  For those signs deemed to be illegal, DCRA will issue notices to the owners of the property and the sign requiring the sign’s removal.

According to Director Argo, billboards were first constructed in the District in early 1931. Their appearance caused an outcry by residents concerned that billboards were a blight on the city’s aesthetics.  By the end of 1931, the District’s government had banned the construction of any new billboards in the city. The only billboards that could remain were those contained on the “Authorized List of Billboards, Three-sheet Poster Boards, and Wall Signs,” dated November 30, 1931. That authorized list was updated about once a decade until the early 1970s.  Unfortunately, after contacting the National Archives, the D.C. Archives, the Commission of Fine Arts, and the National Capital Planning Commission, DCRA has not been able to locate a copy of that authorized list.

The District continues to have a long-standing moratorium on the erection of any new billboards. The D.C. Construction Codes, specifically Chapter 31A of Title 12A of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations, govern the construction and permitting of all outdoor signs. Under Section 3107.7.6.1, only those billboards in existence as of January 1, 1972 are authorized to remain in place. If a billboard is demolished, it cannot be rebuilt or relocated to another site.  In addition, the District imposed a moratorium on the 32 existing “special signs” through the Special Signs Amendment Act of 2001. The Act imposed a permanent moratorium on the issuance of any new permits for special signs and restricted the locations for transferring special signs. A full list and photographs of the 32 permitted signs can be viewed here.