The Planning Commission of West Hollywood is considering a proposal to construct a new digital billboard at 8497-8499 Sunset Boulevard as part of a new building project. A public hearing will be held today to get a recommendation from the Commission for the City Council’s approval.
The Commission is expected to recommend the approval of the sign permit, zoning map amendment and the development agreement for the new billboard. The billboard is being processed under the Sunset Boulevard Off-Site Signage Policy and is required to provide public benefits. The existing billboard on the site was approved prior to the current billboard policy and was not required to provide public benefits.
The project, called “The NOW,” involves a three-sided digital “media cube” that projects from the eastern end of the building with dramatic effect. The entire cube is digital and has adjustable resolution on each side. The billboard, which is wall mounted below the roofline, will primarily be used for advertising with a focus on the east-west experience of the Strip. It will have 2,577 square feet of advertising space and be the first 3D billboard proposed for Sunset Boulevard.
The billboard will have a height of 42 feet and be located approximately 30 feet below the roofline of the building. The billboard will have dimensions of 20 feet high by 60 feet wide for the south sign face, 20 feet high by 40 feet and 8 inches wide for the east sign face, and an irregular shape for the underside sign face. The angle of the billboard will vary from 34 degrees traveling west to 75 degrees traveling east.
This project was recommended for an award based on its innovative design and high visibility. The billboard policy was adopted on March 18, 2019 with a later amendment on October 7, 2019, to enhance the unique traditions of Sunset Boulevard and integrate off-site signs, entertainment, and public art.
The applicant is required to follow the guidelines set by the Sunset Boulevard Off-Site Signage Policy and demonstrate a high level of creativity and design excellence. The Sunset Arts & Advertising Subcommittee has reviewed the project and given their input, suggesting increasing the sign face area to make the billboard more visually appealing.
The city requires billboard projects to enhance the public realm and streetscape for pedestrians. The NOW has been approved and must provide further public realm enhancements.
To address the difficulty of the intersection at La Cienega and Sunset, the City plans to expand the previous plans for curb extensions at all four corners of the intersection. As part of the project, the applicant will improve and expand the public right-of-way and create a new pedestrian-oriented public space, the “RE:Ecology Garden,” which will consist of a landscaped plaza with native plants, seasonal plantings, trees, pollinator gardens, and a path for pedestrians.
The project also includes a public art component commissioned by Refik Anadol, a well-known Turkish American media artist, featuring a row of digital bollards that will interact with the movement of pedestrians and vehicles and display images from this interaction. The construction of these improvements may be installed after the building and billboard portions of the project are complete.
If you want to comment on the Planning Commission’s matters, you can submit an E-Comment through the website or provide public comment via telephone. The deadline for E-Comment submissions is 4:00 PM on the day of the meeting and will be posted on the city’s website as part of the official record. To provide public comment via phone, you are asked to email in advance to be added to the public speaker list, dial-in 10 minutes before the meeting starts, and follow the instructions for unmuting and speaking. Public comments via phone are limited to 3 minutes per speaker.
Dial-in: 669-900-6833
Meeting I.D.: 817 1462 2812 #
Did already got approved
Meet me at The NOW and please come wrapped in a personal digital display so I can recognize you as NOW and not THEN.
If I remember correctly, wasn’t West Hollywood vehemently anti-billboard? I swear this was a thing.
It seems they were to my recollection……until they discovered a major new revenue stream at the expense of the residents, in addition to the cannabis empire.
Incidentally across from this proposed development at the top of La Cienega is a cross walk that more accurately resembles a mountain goat path on a slope . Although its potential danger was pointed out to Bob Chung in the Transportation Dept nothing came of it . With the billboard there will be potentially another distraction possibly to involve a tourist unfamiliar with the terrain. Lack of foresight.
Looks as though an engineering study will finally reveal itself at the CC Meeting on Monday. Better late than never