Downtown Pittsburgh Billboard Controversy Hits Courtroom

POSTED: 5:08 pm EDT April 11, 2008
UPDATED: 6:25 pm EDT April 11, 2008

PITTSBURGH -- It started off as a plan to put a billboard on downtown Pittsburgh’s new Grant Street transportation center, but the case hit the courtroom with some city leaders crying foul.

Lamar Advertising was in court on Friday after filing a lawsuit against City Council members who are challenging the billboard deal. The council, last week, put a six-month moratorium on any new roadside advertising billboards, to give lawmakers time to write tighter zoning restrictions for them.

On Thursday, Mayor Luke Ravenstahl issued an immediate stop work order for Lamar Advertising.

In court on Friday, Lamar said it would agree to stop working. Their suit against council members was also put on the back burner.

After a brief appearance in court on Friday, the two sides decided to hold a private conference with the judge to conciliation of the portion dealing with Lamar's allegations about council.

The two sides agreed that Lamar would go through the city process to erect the billboard.

"The result is that the Zoning Board and the Planning Commission will have their review of an application submitted on the part of Lamar," said Council's attorney, Hugh McGough. "It was a victory for the rule of law that the zoning code will be complied with."

When the Grant Street electronic billboard was recently approved, some City Council members said it came as a surprise and decided to take up the issue.

Some council members said they believe a three-stage process for approval was avoided when Mayor Luke Ravenstahl gave Lamar Advertising the green light to build a LED billboard for the new transportation terminal, which is now under construction downtown.

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