Minneapolis Real Estate Blog

Earlier today, the district court ordered the city of Minnetonka to allow Clear Channel to operate two electronic billboards on I-394 and I-494 on a limited basis.

The company will now be permitted to illuminate the billboards during daylight hours with messages changing once an hour.

Minnetonka City Attorney Desyl Peterson expressed disappointment with the ruling, which compromises the city’s temporary moratorium enacted to allow study of the new technology.

“The purpose of our moratorium is to preserve the status quo while we study the safety effects of digital displays and consider possible changes to our sign ordinance,” Peterson said. “This decision undermines that process.”

Peterson said the city is disappointed that Clear Channel and the Court did not await the outcome of the technical study, due to be completed in the spring, but instead required the city to demonstrate at such an early stage that digital displays are inherently unsafe.

“The court’s order will now allow Clear Channel to do something the city’s ordinances have not permitted for the last 41 years,” Peterson said.

Peterson indicated the city will comply with the court order that the signs be turned on, but said an appeal is being considered.