LOS ANGELES – The LA City Department of General Services renewed its demand on Regency Outdoor Advertising on Tuesday that it respond to the City with its plans for removing the billboard at the entrance to San Pedro.
For decades the residents of San Pedro have been working to take down the billboard at 427 N. Gaffey Street. In 2015, the City of Los Angeles authorized the acquisition of the property in an effort to improve visibility, safety and public access to the San Pedro community by removing the billboard structure.
Up until 2022, the outdoor advertising company was leasing the space on the property for a large billboard. However, at the end of 2022 the lease expired and the billboard continues to be used for advertising purposes.
“At this point we have a billboard company essentially squatting on City property,” said Councilmember Tim McOsker. “I’m disappointed that the company has ignored our reasonable and timely requests and put the City in a position that we must resort to legal action to remove Regency from the site. It is an irresponsible and unethical way to run a business.”
On Tuesday, the general manager of the General Services Department sent a letter to the billboard agency saying that the deadline has passed to remove the billboard and that the city has not received an update from the company on their plans for removal.
The letter also stated that “as the billboard continues to be used for advertising purposes, and [they] have not indicated that [they] have surrendered possession of the subject premises, the City reserves its right to file an unlawful detainer action at any time in order to seek the return of possession.”
The billboard is located at the end of the 110 Freeway at the entrance to San Pedro. Throughout the past few years the billboard has advertised an array of messages ranging from retirement community ads to “Say No To Mask Mandates”.
The company has continuously denied the city’s demands to remove the billboard and billboard structures. The city sent a letter on December 28th requesting the plans by January 15 for removal to which the company has not responded.
On his first day of Council in December 2022, McOsker introduced a motion to instruct the Department of General Services to issue all necessary notices to the owner and lessee of the property to remove the billboard and vacate the property.
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