Utica Shoots Down Ad Company's Request to Erect New Billboard

The Utica City Council denied an advertising company’s request to place a new billboard on the northwest corner of Auburn Road and the M-59 Service Drive.

After a public hearing on the matter last week, the Council voted against Utica Outdoor Media, LLC of Southfield’s request for a variance petition and site plan for the .27 acres of land, where it wanted to put up a new billboard.

The advertising company had proposed to erect a billboard that was 100 feet high and 1,200 square feet wide; when Utica’s regulations state a billboard cannot be more than 40 feet high and 250 square feet.

City Planner John Ambrose suggested that the council deny the billboard request because the company had incomplete information on the variance petition, and he also noted that their billboard sign area was 480% more than what Utica allows and the height was 250 percent more.

“It was so excessively larger than what we allow,” said City Clerk Cathy McGrail, who added that Utica now has more billboards than square miles in the city.

“It’s a very lucrative business for the advertising companies,” she said. “It could change to a digital billboard at anytime without notice.”

McGrail said the company suggested legal action as they left City Hall.  Calls to Utica Outdoor Media, LLC. were unanswered.