The Glendale City Council yesterday approved a series of billboards for both the exterior of Americana at Brand and Glendale Galleria, a move that that has one nearby business owner questioning why the city is allowing a special exemption--via a zoning change-- for those complexes, but not small businesses, reports the Glendale-News Press. "Ray Patel, owner of the Golden Key Hotel Glendale, which is virtually surrounded by the Americana complex, said his business met all of the special zoning requirements for the massive signs, except for the one that a property be at least 400,000 square feet. 'It seems kind of discriminatory to small property owners,' he said. 'This kind of spot zoning doesn’t make sense.'" Meanwhile, it's worth pointing out that part of the legal pile-up against LA over its billboard policy had to do with the city making exemptions. But back to Glendale: As for why Americana wants the ads, Rick Lemmo, vice president of community relations for Caruso Affiliated, says the goal of the signs, which must display products for sale within the complex, "is to get people from other cities to spend their time and their money here," while those who voted against the signs were Councilman Dave Weaver, who said "it was more about bringing in money for the mall owners than the merchants inside."
· Shopping Malls Get their Signs [GNP]
· Today in Sign Wars: Americana at Brand Enters the Fray [Curbed LA]
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