Proposal to amend billboard ordinance up for study

THE City Council committee on ways and means chaired by Councilor George S. Goking will review the proposal to amend Ordinance No. 6390-98, an ordinance regulating the construction and installation of billboards or similar structures in the city.

Filed by Councilor Reuben R. Daba, the proposed ordinance will be known as the Signage Ordinance of Cagayan de Oro City and will apply to all advertising and/or propaganda materials within the entire territory and jurisdiction of the city, particularly on the design, location, site plan, construction, repair, removal, dismantling and maintenance of all signs and sign structures intended for advertisement and other related purposes.

The proposed ordinance provides that all sign structures shall be designed and constructed to resist all forces in accordance with the National Structural Code for Buildings. If built within highly restrictive fire zones, as determined by the Bureau of Fire Protection, these signs and structures shall be made of incombustible materials, and shall have an electrical wiring plan conforming with the provisions of the National Electrical Code and duly signed by a professional electrical engineer, among others.

REGULATIONS

The proposed ordinance provides that outdoor advertising signs shall not be allowed in a residential zone as designated in the official zoning map. Adjacent billboards shall be erected in such a way as to maintain 200.00 meters unobstructed line of sight.

It also provides that bridge approaches within 200 meters from Ysalina Bridge, Carmen Bridge, J.R. Borja Bridge, Marcos Bridge, Puntod-Kauswagan Bridge, Pelaez Bridge, Macabalanb-Bonbon Bridge and Macasandig-Balulang Bridge shall be designated as regulated areas in order to preserve the natural beauty, cityscape and skyline of Cagayan de Oro, among others.

The committee is expected to discuss other provisions such as exemption from sign permits, fees for the application of sign permits specifically on sign fee per square meter of the display surface of billboards, business signs, electrical signs, ground signs, projecting signs, roof signs, signboards and wall signs, among others. (JAO)