Public Invited To Submit Request To Relocate Billboard At Five Corners By Friday

Once a year Seattle residents have the opportunity to request the relocation of a billboard sign by sending a request to the City's Department of Planning and Development.
The Laurelhurst Community Club has recently submitted a request to move the large billboard at Five Corners, the busy intersection of Mary Gates Memorial Drive NE, NE 45th Street, NE 45th Place and Union Bay Place NE.   

In order for requests to be considered, the sign must be located in Seattle in an area where advertising signs are permitted by City Code. 

"All requests for relocation are processed and considered by the owner of the advertising sign. The relocation request process is voluntary and the owner of the billboard has the right to decline the request," the information says.

Here is the letter LCC to Diane Sigamura, DPD Director:

The Laurelhurst Community Club Board of Trustees voted unanimously at its last Trustee meeting to nominate the billboard located at Five Corners, for relocation. It is a very busy intersection. 

The connecting streets provide direct routes to University Village, the main corridor to Seattle Children’s Hospital and an important connection to the University of Washington and Husky Stadium.

This intersection has a level of service (LOS) rating of F.

The billboard at this intersection contributes to driver distraction, even more so in recent years due to Code changes that authorize video components to signs and billboards.

Aside from driver distraction and the accompanying bicyclist and pedestrian safety issues, the billboard at Five Corners is unattractive and out of context.  An oversized billboard at this location gives the feeling that one is driving on SR 99.

When the Sand Point Naval Air Station was conveyed to the City of Seattle in 1997, the need for this section of NE 45th Street to be held as a state highway spur was eliminated.  It would be wonderful to now remove this vestige of state highway appearance and restore the aesthetic environment to one appropriate for an arterial that winds between residential neighborhoods. 

Over the years, the Laurelhurst Community Club Board of Trustees has heard from many neighbors complaining about the billboard at Five Corners for the reasons that we have cited.  We hope that you will give our nomination serious consideration.
                                              

The public can send requests until Friday of this week to Diane Sugimura, Director; Department of Planning and Development, via email at diane.sugimura@seattle.gov or by regular mail sent to  PO Box 34019; Seattle, WA 98124-4019.

The Laurelhurst Community Club encourages neighbors to send in their comments regarding the Five Corners billboard.