GOP freakout in the making: Madison wins local control battle in court, Adams Outdoor Advertising smacked down

Photos by Retiring Guy

Headline:  Wisconsin State Journal, 1/11/2023

The city and Adams have been battling in court over the city's sign ordinances for decades, with the newly decided federal lawsuit filed in 2017. Adams owns and operates many billboards in Wisconsin, including about 90 in Madison. 

Adams' federal lawsuit began as a sweeping First Amendment challenge to the city's sign ordinance under a legal standard set in a previous U.S. Supreme Court case involving another municipality. It also challenged the city's distinction between on- and off-premises signs as well as regulation of digital signs.

Original 4/15/2015 post, "Dane County Board votes not to renew airport billboard lease," starts here.

 

A 'live' view of the billboards' location.

From 4/8/2016 Dane County Board press release:

The Board also narrowly voted not to renew a lease for three Adams Outdoor Advertising billboards on Dane County Regional Airport property. 

Approach to billboards from Washington Manor Park, southwest of Aberg Avenue

The 18-16 vote, with two abstentions, came after the Eken Neighborhood Association and Sherman Neighborhood Association both urged the County Board not to renew the lease. 

View from north ramp of bike/pedestrian bridge

The lease provided about $41,000 in revenue and about $65,000 worth of free advertising for the airport last year, but many supervisors and neighborhood residents cited recent neighborhood improvements and the negative visual and environmental impacts of the billboards. 

Side view of one of the billboards

“It comes down to listening to our constituents,” said Supervisor Paul Rusk, who represents the area. “The people who live there, who have to look at those billboards every day, spoke loudly and clearly: they don’t want them there anymore." 

The lease provided for the display of public service announcements.
(note the peeling paint)

"Thanks to the excellent leadership and management of County staff, the airport is on firm financial footing and this relatively small loss of revenue will not affect the County as a whole. It was a healthy debate and I think the Board ultimately did the right thing.”   [End of press release]

All photos by Retiring Guy

From a distance, the left half of this billboard appears to be a Ted Cruz for President advertisement, but it's actually a joke campaign mounted by Cuba City native Todd McWilliams.