Opinion ID: 886636
Heading Depth: 1
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: issues

Text: ¶ 26 Did the District Court err when it concluded that the City and County ordinances do not impose an unconstitutional restriction on commercial speech? ¶ 27 Montana Media asserts that the City ordinance places a greater restriction on off-premise signs and billboards than it places on other offsite signs and that the County ordinance places greater restrictions on billboards than other offsite signs. Montana Media contends that the City and County ordinances violate the First Amendment because the City and County have failed to demonstrate that the subject ordinances directly advance the governmental interests asserted and are not more extensive than necessary to serve that interest. ¶ 28 The Supreme Court has recognized that pursuant to First Amendment speech protections, each medium of communication is subject to its own law and reflects differing societal values and needs. Metromedia, Inc. v. City of San Diego (1981), 453 U.S. 490, 501, 101 S.Ct. 2882, 2889, 69 L.Ed.2d 800. To determine what law applies to the current appeal requires a particularized inquiry into the interests at stake here beginning with a precise appraisal of the character of the ordinance as it affects communication. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 503, 101 S.Ct. at 2890. ¶ 29 The subject signs are freestanding structures designed to convey different commercial messages or, in other terms, billboards. Due to the permanence, structure and design of billboards, they present a unique set of problems for development and planning. Designed to draw attention, billboards potentially distract motorists from their primary task of driving, clutter the landscape and obscure the natural and historic features that attract many to areas such as the Flathead Valley and the City of Whitefish. In order to balance a business' interest in advertising with the public's interest in safety and aesthetics, the City and County adopted sign ordinances to regulate the size and location of signs. Specifically, the ordinances place restrictions and prohibitions on billboards. Consequently, both ordinances must be analyzed pursuant to the law of billboards. ¶ 30 It is well established that commercial and noncommercial speech enjoy different protections in the context of the First Amendment. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 506, 101 S.Ct. at 2891-892. Commercial speech is accorded less constitutional protection than noncommercial speech. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 506, 101 S.Ct. at 2890. The Supreme Court has noted that commercial speech may be regulated in situations where noncommercial speech may not be. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 506, 101 S.Ct. at 2892. ¶ 31 A four-part analysis has been developed by the United States Supreme Court to determine the validity of a commercial speech restriction. First, commercial speech must concern a lawful activity and not be misleading to be protected. Central Hudson Gas & Elec. v. Public Serv. Comm'n (1980), 447 U.S. 557, 566, 100 S.Ct. 2343, 2351, 65 L.Ed.2d 341. Next, there must be a substantial government interest for adopting a restriction on commercial speech. Central Hudson Gas & Elec., 447 U.S. at 566, 100 S.Ct. at 2351. If the speech is protected and there is a substantial government interest, the regulation must directly advance the asserted government objective, and reach no further than necessary to accomplish that objective. Central Hudson Gas & Elec., 447 U.S. at 566, 100 S.Ct. at 2351. The government bears the burden of demonstrating a substantial interest and justifying the challenged regulation. Greater New Orleans Broadcasting Assn., Inc. v. United States (1999), 527 U.S. 173, 183, 119 S.Ct. 1923, 1930, 144 L.Ed.2d 161. ¶ 32 The parties concede that the billboards in this case are protected commercial speech and that aesthetics and safety are substantial governmental interests. The controversy arises from the third and fourth prongs of the Central Hudson inquiry. Montana Media contends that the City and County failed to meet their burden of demonstrating that their sign ordinances directly advance the interest of aesthetics and safety, and are not more extensive than necessary. Montana Media suggests that the Respondents' reliance upon Metromedia is misplaced in light of subsequent cases that provide stronger protection for commercial speech and increase the government's burden of proof with concern to the third and fourth prong of Central Hudson. ¶ 33 In Metromedia, the United States Supreme Court considered whether a San Diego sign ordinance that permitted onsite commercial advertising, prohibited offsite commercial billboards, and prohibited most noncommercial messages was constitutional. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 503, 101 S.Ct. at 2890. The record indicated that the subject signs historically displayed both commercial and noncommercial messages. Recognizing that commercial speech enjoyed less protection than noncommercial speech, the Court bifurcated the issues. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 504-05, 101 S.Ct. at 2891. ¶ 34 The restriction on commercial speech was reviewed pursuant to the four-part Central Hudson analysis. The first prong of Central Hudson was not at issue, and there was no question that traffic safety and aesthetics constituted a substantial government interest. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 507-08, 101 S.Ct. at 2892-893. The Court proceeded to the fourth prong of Central Hudson and postulated that a billboard prohibition was the most effective means to improve safety and aesthetics. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 508, 101 S.Ct. at 2893. Therefore, it concluded that San Diego had reached no further than necessary to accomplish its objective, which satisfied the fourth prong of Central Hudson. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 508, 101 S.Ct. at 2893. In fact, the Court noted that San Diego had stopped short of fully accomplishing its goals because it permitted onsite advertising and specifically exempted other signs from the prohibition. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 508, 101 S.Ct. at 2893. ¶ 35 With respect to the third prong, the Court concluded that the prohibition of offsite billboards was directly related to San Diego's interest in traffic safety and improving aesthetics. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 509-12, 101 S.Ct. at 2893-895. Metromedia's contention that the distinction made between onsite and offsite advertising was impermissible was dismissed by the Court, which deferred to the city's judgement in placing a higher value on one form of commercial speech over another in the context of regulating billboards. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 510-12, 101 S.Ct. at 2893-895. Consequently, the San Diego ordinance was constitutionally valid as it pertained to commercial speech and the third prong of Central Hudson was satisfied. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 512, 101 S.Ct. at 2895. ¶ 36 The second part of Metromedia addressed San Diego's restriction on noncommercial speech. The ordinance permitted onsite commercial messages, but did not provide for noncommercial speech. The Court's analysis finds fault with the fact that the ordinance restricted noncommercial speech more than commercial speech in contravention of the greater constitutional protection enjoyed by noncommercial speech. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 513, 101 S.Ct. at 2895. Consequently, the Court held that the manner in which San Diego restricted noncommercial speech rendered the ordinance invalid. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 521, 101 S.Ct. at 2899. ¶ 37 Montana Media contends that Metromedia has limited precedential value because subsequent commercial speech cases raise the government's burden of proof and provide stronger constitutional protections for commercial speech than existed at the time Metromedia was decided. The cases cited by Montana Media stand for the propositions that the government must demonstrate that: (1) the harms asserted by the government are real and that the restriction will alleviate them to a material degree to satisfy the third prong of Central Hudson; and (2) the challenged regulation must reflect careful consideration of the cost and benefit of the regulation in light of the burden imposed on speech to satisfy the fourth prong. Greater New Orleans Broadcasting Assn., Inc., 527 U.S. at 188, 119 S.Ct. at 1932. ¶ 38 However, this line of cases does not address billboard law. The Ninth Circuit has held that these cases do not alter the applicability of Metromedia to billboard cases. Ackerley Communications of Northwest v. Krochalis (1997 9th Cir.), 108 F.3d 1095, 1099-1100. We agree. The commercial speech cases cited by Montana Media involve different communicative mediums. Specifically, the cases involve sidewalk news racks and radio advertisements. News racks and radio waves do not create the same problems that a 400 square foot sign that is specifically designed to draw attention to itself causes. Nothing in the Supreme Court cases cited by Montana Media changes the standard for commercial billboards established in Metromedia. We conclude that while the Supreme Court has considered numerous commercial speech issues since, Metromedia remains the controlling law in billboard cases. ¶ 39 The application of Metromedia is limited only by the factual differences and the precise issues presented by this appeal. The challenged ordinance in Metromedia provided in part: The following signs shall be prohibited: .... 3. Any sign which advertises or otherwise directs attention to a product, service or activity, event, person, institution, or business ... which occurs or is generally conducted, sold, manufactured, produced or offered elsewhere than on the premise where the sign is located. [Emphasis added.] Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 493, 101 S.Ct. at 2885. The ordinance prohibited both noncommercial and commercial offsite billboards. While onsite commercial signs were permitted most noncommercial speech was prohibited. Consequently, the Court bifurcated the issues. On the issue of commercial speech Metromedia establishes that it is constitutionally permissible to prohibit offsite commercial billboards to further the goals of traffic safety and aesthetics. The flaw in the San Diego ordinance was that it accorded onsite commercial speech more protection than noncommercial speech. Metromedia suggests that an ordinance which only prohibits offsite commercial speech would be valid.
¶ 40 The City ordinance subjects commercial signs to greater restrictions than non-commercial signs. Off-premise signs that advertise an establishment, merchandise, service, or entertainment, which is not sold, produced, manufactured, or furnished at the property on which the sign is located are restricted to industrial and commercial zones, subject to size, setback and permit regulations. WZJR § 17.120.340. Noncommercial signs are permitted throughout the entire city. ¶ 41 The noncommercial speech restrictions found in the San Diego ordinance are not present in the City ordinance. The restriction on commercial signs is consistent with greater protection accorded to noncommercial speech by the First Amendment. Consequently, only the commercial speech analysis in Metromedia applies to the facts before us. ¶ 42 Metromedia noted that the distinction made between onsite and offsite commercial advertising did not invalidate the regulation for being underinclusive. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 511-12, 101 S.Ct. at 2894-895. Referring to the greater value accorded to onsite commercial speech, the Court stated: the city may believe that offsite advertising, with its periodically changing content, presents a more acute problem than does onsite advertising. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 511, 101 S.Ct. at 2895 (citation omitted). Setting billboards back from the public right-of-way and restricting billboard size alleviates the visual impact of billboards and improves both safety and aesthetics. Furthermore, permitting billboards in industrial and commercial areas where aesthetics have already been sacrificed for commerce, while prohibiting them in other zones makes perfect sense and is in line with the City's objective. Therefore, we conclude that the City ordinance directly advances the City's goal of reducing visual blight and traffic hazards created by billboards and satisfies the third prong of Central Hudson. ¶ 43 In Metromedia, the Court concluded that a billboard prohibition was the most effective remedy for the traffic hazards and visual blight caused by billboards, which satisfied the fourth prong of Central Hudson. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 508, 101 S.Ct. at 2893. The Court further held that San Diego had gone no further than necessary to meet its end. Metromedia, Inc., 453 U.S. at 508, 101 S.Ct. at 2893. ¶ 44 In this case, billboards are only prohibited in residential areas and subject to restrictions in commercially zoned areas. The City's ordinance is more narrowly tailored than the ordinance in Metromedia and restricts speech no more than is necessary to achieve its objective. We conclude that the City ordinance reaches no further than necessary to accomplish its objective.
¶ 45 The County ordinance provides two different definitions for the term billboard. The definition of billboard relied upon by both parties refers only to those signs that are designed to advertise commercial messages. Consequently, we review the County ordinance in light of the billboard definition provided for at FCZR § 7.18.060(2). ¶ 46 The County's billboard restrictions are similar to those found in the City ordinance. Montana Media does not dispute the County's characterization of its signs as billboards. Consequently, we apply the Central Hudson criteria as adopted in Metromedia to the County ordinance to determine if the ordinance is a valid commercial speech regulation. ¶ 47 The first two prongs of Central Hudson are not disputed. The County ordinance regulates protected commercial speech and the County has asserted a substantial interest in reducing the traffic hazards and visual blight caused by billboards. Therefore, we must determine whether the ordinance directly advances the County's objective and whether the regulation reaches further than necessary to achieve that objective. ¶ 48 The County ordinance provides a more specific and limited definition of the term billboard than provided for in the City ordinance. The County billboard regulations only apply to those signs designed with a surface upon which temporary poster panels or painted bulletins can be displayed for the purpose of advertising commercial messages. FCZR § 17.18.060(2). Other offsite signs are treated differently. This discrepancy is attributed to the fact that billboards can be up to 432 square feet, whereas other offsite signs are limited to 64 square feet. Billboards are allowed in certain industrial zones subject to permit, size, and setback restrictions, while they are prohibited throughout the remainder of Flathead County. Consequently, we adopt the logic expressed in our analysis of the City ordinance. ¶ 49 Consistent with Metromedia, we conclude that it is within the County's discretion to prohibit billboards in areas where other commercial or noncommercial signs are permitted. Logic dictates that a 432 square foot sign may create an unacceptable traffic hazard and eyesore in a zone where the benefit of a commercial message displayed on a 64 square foot sign face, or at a place of business, may outweigh those harms. We conclude that the County ordinance directly advances the County's objective and resolve the third prong of Central Hudson in the County's favor. ¶ 50 Whether or not the prohibition and permit requirements imposed upon billboards by the County reach further than necessary is the final question. Metromedia is clear on this issue and has been adopted above. We conclude that the County ordinance reaches no further than necessary to achieve its goals and, therefore, the fourth prong of Central Hudson is satisfied.