Search · Utica Common Council Records

Sort

Common Council Meeting with Committee of the Whole Meeting February 4th, 2026

19 matches · 7 unidentified

1:22:02

I can, please, between Stephanie and I, we Certainly. There was a mor— the Council may remember that there was— this body passed a moratorium almost 6 months ago. That was a 6-month moratorium which is up within the next couple weeks. So this piece and the next piece which addresses better battery storage was in response to those two moratoriums. As far as billboards, this— the moratorium was requested because we had— our office had seen an uptick in the number of requests for zoning approvals and Planning Board approvals for additional billboards within the city, including one on the triangular site at the western gateway of Oriskany Boulevard into the city, which the Zoning Board actually granted approval for. But fortunately, DOT thought better of it and actually denied it, or we would have had a big billboard on that site. I'm suggesting that there be no more billboards allowed in the city, and that that would basically prevent any reviews by Planning Board, and that only existing billboards be permitted to remain.

Unidentified speaker 39:29

Billboards before were legal in the city, and this would make them illegal for additional billboards. The current ones that exist can stay there. I don't know how that goes for repairs. I think repairs should probably still be okay, but—

Unidentified speaker 1:23:22

Um, just for, um, clarification— not clarification, but, um, for the, um, council's, um, reference, there's 36 billboards that exist, um, within the city presently. Um, I do have some maps showing where they are. A majority of them are on the arterial, um, and Oriskany Street, um, but they are starting to pop up and people are getting variances, not just variances for their location but variances for their size and, um, dual, um, boards, boards. Um, so that's what we're seeing, um, essentially, um, right now they are permitted in a couple, um, they're permitted in the industrial and industrial mixed zones, um, by a special use permit. Mhm. Um, but, um, again, we think the total prohibition, um, will start to eliminate the billboards that we're seeing and the volume that we're seeing them pop up.

1:24:22

Um, I, I mean, I understand that there's the concern about billboards. I don't have the same sentiment. I've never really had a problem with too many billboards, but I am willing to listen and hear out what the administration's thoughts and feelings are on it.

Unidentified speaker 1:29:18

Um, so there are billboards that are up in, uh, District 2 and 5 that are on buildings, like some of them are kind of located on buildings. Will those stay too? There's like— and down by the brewery, I think, and then there's some like on property. The only reason why I ask, because those are ones that specifically talk about lead healthcare for people, Fidelis, things like that. I was just curious if those billboards will still stay going or if they will—

39:42

So historically speaking with the billboards, once a special use permit's granted, is that in perpetuity or is there a time limit to that once it's granted?

Unidentified speaker 39:48

As far as I know, it's always been in perpetuity. I've never— until this came up I've never known of any limits on billboards at all.

1:21:27

Next one is an ordinance adding Section 2-29-136 of Utica Code of Ordinance. Be ordained that Article 5 Signed regulations of the City Code of Ordinance shall be amended by amending Section 2-29-136 entitled Billboard Signage, and any billboards that currently exist are permitted to continue to subject Division 6, Article 2, Chapter 2-29. Is somebody going to speak on this, or what's, what's the story on this?