Advertising displays: redevelopment agency project areas.

Existing law, the Outdoor Advertising Act, provides for the regulation by the Department of Transportation of advertising displays, as defined, within view of public highways. The act regulates the placement of off-premises advertising displays along highways that generally advertise business conducted or services rendered or goods produced or sold at a location other than the property upon which the display is located. Under the act, advertising displays advertising businesses and activities within the boundary limits of, and as a part of, an individual redevelopment agency project may, with the consent of the redevelopment agency governing the project, be considered to be on premises, as specified. A violation of these provisions is a misdemeanor. The Community Redevelopment Law authorizes the establishment of redevelopment agencies in communities to address the effects of blight, as defined. Existing law dissolved redevelopment agencies and community development agencies, as of February 1, 2012, and provides for the designation of successor agencies. This bill would provide that an advertising display advertising businesses and activities within the boundary limits of, and as a part of, an individual redevelopment agency project, as the project boundaries existed on December 29, 2011, may remain and be considered an on-premises display, until January 1, 2023, if the advertising display meets specified criteria. This bill would authorize, on and after January 1, 2022, the applicable city, county, or city and county to request from the department an extension for good cause, as specified, beyond January 1, 2023, not to exceed the expiration of the redevelopment project area. The bill would require a specified certification of a local agency authorizing one of these advertising displays, and would require the local agency to ensure that the display conforms to the bill's requirements. By imposing a new requirement in that regard on local agencies, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program. By imposing new conditions on a redevelopment project advertising display to remain lawfully erected, a violation of which would constitute a misdemeanor, this bill would also impose a state-mandated local program. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that with regard to certain mandates no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. With regard to any other mandates, this bill would provide that, if the Commission on State Mandates determines that the bill contains costs so mandated by the state, reimbursement for those costs shall be made pursuant to the statutory provisions noted above. This bill would declare that it is to take effect immediately as an urgency statute.