CITIZENS FOR A SCENIC WISCONSIN, INC Charles Weeth, Exec. Dir. 122 17th St S
La Crosse, WI 54601-4208
NON-PROFIT
ORGANIZATION
U.S. POSTAGE PAID
MILWAUKEE, WI
PERMIT NO. 104
The Covered Bridge of Jefferson County, a 2009 Scenic Beauty Award recipient.
Dedicated to preserving and enhancing the scenic character of Wisconsin's communities and countryside
LA CROSSE FIGHTS DIGITAL LED BILLBOARDS!!
Voice: 608-784-3212 FAX: 608-782-2822 [email protected] www.scenicwisconsin.org
One day in May, the residents of Mil-
son Court nestled by one of the bluffs
in La Crosse looked out their windows
to see the recently converted digital
LED off premises sign (billboard) had
been activated.
Their view of the La Crosse River
marsh and the bluffs of Minnesota in
the distance was now dominated by a
jumbotron that flashed as the almost
500,000 LEDs on each side of the sign
changed colors every 8 seconds.
Like many other residents across Wis-
consin, they were mortified that a huge
billboard can be erected only a few
hundred feet from their homes There
was no notification and no ability to
have any say in something that has
(Continued on page 2)
IMAGINE Newsletter of Citizens for a Scenic Wisconsin
Fall 2011 Vol. 11, No. 1
Which WI Governor threatened to
veto a billboard control bill
weakened by amendments he
described as “dictated by the
billboard lobby”?
(Answer on Page 4)
SCENIC POP QUIZ
The newly converted digital LED billboard adjacent to State Highway 16 in the Town of Medary
with a September sunset in the background. This billboard is at about the same level as the homes
on Milson Court in the City of La Crosse just 300 or so feet to the east, so there is no escaping the
bright light that fill their yards and homes 24/7/365. The billboard company turned down the bright-
ness somewhat and claims this is as low as it can go, but it is still a nuisance to the residents.
Executive Director’s Report
One of my favorite things to do as I
travel around our beautiful state is
take the “blue highways” and discover
new people, places and things. Of
course I take lots of pictures too!
Whenever I am going wherever in
Wisconsin, I try to take routes I’ve
never been on before; something that
isn’t hard to do with 112,362 miles of
public roadway within the state of all
types. If I go out one way I always try
to come back a different way so I see
and experience something just a bit
different each way.
It is amazing what one can discover in
our own backyards ….. if we take a
little time and try something other
than the usual well worn paths.
Visit us online at www.scenicwisconsin.org
Imagine Page 2
By Charley Weeth, Executive Director
There’s the sign! The new digital LED sign
faces on the existing steel monopole and base.
A worker is welding the ladder to the mono-
pole. The nearest Milson Court neighbor is
only 300 feet away and was never notified.
(Continued from page 1)
such a dramatic impact on their lives -
as well as their property values.
The Milson Court residents, along
with other concerned citizens in the
community, fought back by demand-
ing passage of a six month morato-
rium on any more conversions of ex-
isting billboards to digital LED bill-
boards, as well as any new billboards
or on premises digital LED signs. The
County Board approved it by a vote of
23-10-2.
When people learned the billboard
company also proposed converting
three existing static billboards to digi-
tal LED billboards with four faces
adjacent to the Great River Road in
the City of La Crosse, they pushed a
Where’s the sign? The static sign faces have
been removed so only the steel monopole and
base remain. WisDOT considers converting an
existing static billboard to a digital LED bill-
board simply as a “change in message” and
only requests notification.
LA CROSSE FIGHTS DIGITAL LED BILLBOARDS!! (Cont’d)
one year moratorium that passed the
Common Council by a vote of 17-1.
The only reason these moratoriums
passed was because the residents
spoke up and in large numbers. As
one Council Member that had rou-
tinely voted for relaxing the sign ordi-
nances over the years said, “I’ve re-
ceived more phone calls and emails
from constituents on the billboards
than on anything else in a long time”.
The County and the City are moving
forward on revising their respective
ordinances, but not without the usual
claims by the sign companies about
the residents being “anti-business”
and “misinformed”; so far the resi-
dents continue to fight to have a say in
how their community looks.
SCENIC BEAUTY AWARD
Scenic Beauty Awards nomina-
tions are due by December 1st. Go
to our Internet site or contact CSW
for a nomination form to help pro-
mote our scenic Wisconsin!
“It seems to me that
the natural world is the greatest
source of excitement; the greatest
source of visual beauty; the
greatest source of intellectual
interest. It is the greatest source
of so much in life that makes life
worth living”.
Sir David Attenborough
This well maintained field stone house is on a
small farmstead by State Highway 66 north of
the Wisconsin River in Portage County. The
colors and textures alone are worthy of preser-
vation, but add in the historical significance
and it is even more of a gem!
“Customary Maintenance” or “Gaming the System”
Make your voice heard! Contact your elected officials in Madison and your community!
Citizens for a Scenic Wisconsin EXTRA
If one pays a little attention to how billboards are located, constructed and maintained, it doesn’t take long to re-alize something is often amiss. Bill-boards appear in farm fields and for-ests, or grow larger or taller. Wooden billboards outlast farm fences, railroad ties and utility poles, defying all the laws of physics and chemistry. Regulations for non-conforming signs state that: “The sign must remain sub-stantially the same as it was on the effective date of the state law (03/18/72) and may not be enlarged. Reasonable repair and maintenance of the sign, including a change of mes-sage is not a change which would ter-minate nonconforming rights”. Repairs are permitted up to “50% of the replacement cost of the sign” but because WisDOT does not require a permit or even notification of the pro-posed repairs before they are per-formed, the sign owner unilaterally determines replacement cost. The result? The billboard companies have almost carte blanche to make whatever repairs or improvements they feel are appropriate to non-conforming billboards, including some that were originally issued permits when FDR was President!
The back side of a recently enlarged and improved billboard on land that is unzoned with no visible, permanent commercial or industrial activity. The inset is the WisDOT photo of the backside of the same billboard. This location does not qualify for a billboard and a per-mit should not have been issued. It is this type of “repair” to non-conforming signs that goes on all the time and obviously more than “50% of the replacement cost of the sign”.
Three sets of posts have been used for this billboard (R-L: wood, steel and steel). This bill-board is on land that is zoned commercial, but has no visible, permanent commercial activ-ity and thus should not qualify for a billboard. If a billboard company is eventually caught, they will frequently fight any orders to remove with the result that WisDOT or municipali-ties with their limited resources often “compromise” and allow the billboard to remain until there are highway improvements or “just don’t do it again”. What a joke!
How To Make Repairs & Altera-tions To Your Billboard from a billboard industry publication: Never Do Work While The In-
spector Is On The Clock Paint Over Any Repairs Right
Then and There Never Weld At Night Hide any Digging By Putting
Back Ground Cover and Debris Have The Crew Dress Like Offi-
cial Highway Workmen Never Admit Your Guilt
Yes! I/We would also like to order _____ copies of Wisconsin Barns @ $20.00 per book.
Wisconsin Barns ordered from CSW are signed by the author! 1 book FREE with a $100+ Citizens for a Scenic Wisconsin membership!
Please allow 2-4 weeks for delivery. Proceeds earmarked for barn preservation!
JOIN CITIZENS FOR A SCENIC WISCONSIN And help us preserve and protect the scenic icons of rural Wisconsin!
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Wisconsin Barns Wisconsin’s iconic barns have come to represent a way of life defined by family, a con-nection to the land, ingenuity, and hard work. Experience the state’s beauty and rich his-tory through these varied and fascinating structures, from the 1840s log barns to grand, arch-roofed dairy barns. Writer Nancy Schumm-Burgess and photographer Ernest J. Schweit set out on a two-year quest to document Wisconsin’s historic barns, presented in 107 photographs compli-mented by fascinating details about some of the state’s most storied structures. Forward by Chuck Law, Ph.D. of the UW Extension Barns Preservation Program.
Citizens for a Scenic Wisconsin, Inc. Charley Weeth, Executive Director
122 17th St S La Crosse, WI 54601
Voice: 608-784-3212 FAX: 608-782-2822 [email protected] www.scenicwisconsin.org
Dedicated to preserving and enhancing the scenic character of Wisconsin's communities and countryside
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“There is a serene and settled
majesty to woodland scenery that
enters into the soul and delights
and elevates it, and fills it with
noble inclinations”.
Washington Irving
Feel free to submit your Wisconsin scenic photos or stories!
Citizens for a Scenic Wisconsin Page 3
The City of La Crosse tried to negotiate a set-
tlement with the sign company to remove this
billboard for a new street by this redevelop-
ment, but had to condemn it when they refused
to sell at any price. It was erected in 1999 just
before the Great River Road was designated
and later the billboard company managed to
obtain a “perpetual billboard easement” for
only $1.00 from the landowners. The cost to
the taxpayers to remove it after a 3 day trial:
$250,000 plus legal and administrative costs.
This beautiful barn in Clark County has seen
many changes over the years and is still in use
today. It is wonderfully decorated and main-
tained by an obviously proud owner.
US Hwy 41 an Interstate? Have you wondered why there are
so many new billboards adjacent
to US Hwy 41 from the Mitchell
Interchange in Milwaukee to
Green Bay? If so, here’s the an-
swer: As has been expected for
many years, the Governor has for-
mally proposed this 142 mile
stretch be designated as an Inter-
state highway.
Interstate highways have different
design and other standards, but
the key for billboards is the Bonus
Act of 1958. As a signatory to this
law, Wisconsin must adhere to
stricter outdoor advertising con-
trols or return the “bonus” pay-
ments received over the years.
Currently US Hwy 41 is subject to
the standards of the Highway
Beautification Act (HBA) of 1965
that allow new billboards on land
that is currently zoned commercial
or industrial. There are other crite-
ria but WisDOT generally accepts
just the zoning, even if the land use
is obviously agricultural as pic-
tured below.
The Bonus Act requires that land
adjacent to an Interstate was zoned
or used for permanent commercial
or industrial activity as of September
1, 1959. Given most of the land ad-
jacent to US Hwy 41 was farmland
or natural areas in 1959, it will be
more difficult for locations to meet
the Bonus Act standards after the
Interstate designation; hence the
rush to sign leases, obtain permits
and erect billboards.
If you live in this area and would
like to assist in researching these
issues, please contact CSW. Or you
can assist with a donation!
One of the many vacant newer billboards adjacent to US Hwy 41 between Milwaukee and Green
Bay. Billboard companies are leasing locations and erecting as many billboards as possible before
this highway is designated an Interstate, tightening up the standards for new billboards significantly.
Help fight blight!
CITIZENS FOR A SCENIC WISCONSIN, INC
A 501(c)3 non-profit organization
A Dairy is Considered “Industrial”?
Voice: 608-784-3212 FAX: 608-782-2822 [email protected] www.scenicwisconsin.org
A modern double sided 672 sqf (1,344 sqf total) stretched vinyl banner billboard with illu-
mination on a steel monopole adjacent to an Interstate. The permit application listed this
land as limited industrial so apparently Wisconsin dairy farms are considered “industrial”.
Dedicated to preserving and enhancing the scenic character of Wisconsin's
communities and countryside
Imagine Page 4
POP QUIZ ANSWER
In July of 1959, Governor Gaylord
Nelson also threatened to intro-
duce a statewide referendum. The
amendments were withdrawn and
the Legislature agreed to adopt the
standards of the Bonus Act of 1958.
You’re going along an Interstate and
are admiring the neat farms and fields
when a pair of big billboards pop up.
Huh? Billboards are only allowed on
land zoned commercial or industrial
according to the Highway Beautifica-
tion Act (HBA) of 1965, which Wis-
consin finally agreed to in 1972.
And because it is an Interstate, the
land also had to be commercial or in-
dustrial as of September 1, 1959 ac-
cording to the Bonus Act of 1958,
which Wisconsin agreed to in 1961.
So how did these billboards get here?
In a few instances, like I-39/US Hwy
51 the older, smaller billboards we see
were erected before 1972 and before it
was designated as an Interstate.
In other instances the billboards were
erected adjacent to new Interstates af-
ter 1959 but before 1972 according to
the standards of the Bonus Act that
allowed limited numbers of smaller
signs for travel and tourist messages.
But many of these larger, taller steel
billboards were clearly erected well
after both 1959 and 1972; so how did
they obtain permits?
Sadly, WisDOT has often accepted
whatever claims and substantiation on
the permit application regarding the
current zoning as well as the zoning as
of 1959. A combination of factors
over the years, including political
pressure, lack of resources to fully
check all the details and the like have
allowed many billboards in areas that
were specifically prohibited by both
the Bonus Act and the HBA.
CSW is raising these questions as best
we can with the resources available. If
you can help with research, or make a
donation, or both, it will help us fight
billboard blight!
Executive Director
Charley Weeth 122 17th St S La Crosse, WI 54601
Voice 608-784-3212 FAX 608-782-2822 [email protected] www.scenicwisconsin.org
President
Vernie Smith, Viroqua
Vice President
Ed Kleckner, Menasha
Secretary
Barb Thomas, Menomonie
Treasurer
Charles Clemence, La Crosse
Directors
Paul Fowler, Oshkosh Lowell Klessig, Amherst Junction Shirley Brabender Mattox, Oshkosh Chuck Mitchell, Wauwatosa Your Name Here, Dairy State
Legislative Advisor
Gary R Goyke, Madison
Affiliate Member