THE MIAMI HERALD

COMPANY OFFERS PINES FREE STREET LIGHTS

Thursday, June 20, 1991
Section: NEIGHBORS BSW
Edition: BRWRD
Page: 3BSW

FRANK FERNANDEZ Herald Staff Writer

The catch: Poles will carry ad signs

A firm wants to pay Pembroke Pines for the opportunity to light up Flamingo Road. The catch: The light poles the company installed also would have back-lit advertisements bolted to them.

On June 13, the advisory planning and zoning board said no thanks and voted unanimously against the plan. Ada Media Group Companies of Hollywood said it plans to take its proposal to city commissioners in August.

The street light signs have been installed in Pembroke Park, but that didn't persuade board members.

"I think the whole thing is entirely inappropriate for the city," said board member Henry Lippe.

The signs are 6 feet by 4 feet -- the same size as bus shelter signs -- and are attached to a 30-foot-tall concrete pole, which also has street lights.

"It's fundamentally a billboard, and billboards are not allowed in the city of Pembroke Pines," said board member Martin Larsen.

Eric Nadel, president of Ada Media Group Companies, said his firm would pay for the installation of the poles and the electricity to light both the signs and the street lights. The city would receive free advertising space on the poles and about $600 per pole per year, in addition to saving the expense of installing light poles along a road that doesn't have any.

"There's a lot of elderly people out there that drive at night," Nadel said. "I really think it would be a big mistake for the city (to prohibit the signs) because it's going to generate revenue and provide a public service at no cost."

Board members said the signs already are prohibited by city code and might even cause accidents by distracting motorists.

Garry Prager, who represented Ada Media at the meeting, said some of the signs would be available for public service ads, such as messages about missing children.

"If signs caused accidents, we should be having accidents all over because we have signs all over the place," Prager said.

All content © 1991 THE MIAMI HERALD and may not be republished without permission.