Opinion ID: 696232
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 2

Heading: External Illumination Prohibition (Sec. 25-46)

Text: 26 Section 25-46 prohibits external illumination of political signs. The district court held that the portion of this provision that applies to signs in a commercial zone is an impermissible content-based restriction because Gladstone allows businesses to externally illuminate commercial signs erected on their commercially-zoned property. Whitton, 832 F.Supp. at 1337. However, the district court held that the portion of the provision that applies to residential property is content-neutral and a reasonable time, place, and manner restriction because the sign code does not permit external illumination of any sign on residential property. Id. at 1337-38. Gladstone appeals the district court's decision holding that Sec. 25-46 is unconstitutional as applied to commercial property. Whitton appeals the district court's decision holding that Sec. 25-46 is constitutional as applied to residential property. 27 We agree with the district court that the portion of Sec. 25-46 that applies to commercial property is a content-based restriction which fails to survive strict scrutiny for many of the reasons outlined in the previous section discussing Sec. 25-45 (Part IIA). For example, Sec. 25-17(B) of the sign code allows ground signs under 30 square feet in area to be externally illuminated. 14 Thus, a 2' X 2' permanent ground sign may be erected on commercial property and externally illuminated if it advertises an upcoming nonpolitical event; however, the same sign could not be externally illuminated if it expresses support for a political candidate. Again, the operative distinction is the message conveyed by the sign, making the regulation content-based. 28 We similarly conclude that this provision also fails to pass strict scrutiny. As we noted in Part IIA, while traffic safety and aesthetic beauty are admittedly substantial interests, they are not compelling governmental interests. Further, the restriction is not narrowly drawn to accomplish its purported purpose. Section 25-17(D) of the sign code mandates that all illuminated signs must be operated in such a manner as not to impose a danger to passing motorists. 15 Moreover, Gladstone has made no showing that external illumination of political signs on commercial property creates dangers or detracts from aesthetic beauty any differently than other signs which are permitted to be externally illuminated. Thus, we conclude that the district court committed no error in finding that Sec. 25-46 of the sign code is unconstitutional as applied to commercial property. 29 However, we disagree with the district court's holding regarding the application of Sec. 25-46 to residential property. The sign code permits the erection of some type of ground sign in all of the residentially-zoned areas. See Sec. 25-28(A)-(B). As long as the ground sign is less than 30 square feet in size, it may be externally illuminated, see Sec. 25-17(B), except that no political sign of any kind may be externally illuminated. See Sec. 25-46. Because the message on the sign determines whether or not it may be externally illuminated in a residentially-zoned area, we conclude that Sec. 25-46, as applied to residential property, is a content-based restriction. For the same reasons Sec. 25-46 failed to pass strict scrutiny as applied to commercial property, it also does not withstand strict scrutiny when it is applied to residential property. 30 Therefore, we affirm the district court's holding that Sec. 25-46 is unconstitutional as applied to commercially-zoned property, and we reverse its holding that Sec. 25-46 is constitutional as applied to residential property. 31