Not quite a banner day in Surf City

Jose Paul Corona

Wayne LaVigne is not a happy man.

He’s upset with the City Council’s decision to pass an ordinance

that would prohibit banner-towing planes from flying over the city.

The businessman and owner of What A Lot A Pizza believes that by

banning the planes from flying over the city, the council is limiting

his advertising choices.

“I don’t understand their motivation,” he said, “People like them,

they love to see it.”

While some may dispute his claim, LaVigne says he has conducted

several surveys to see how the community responds to the planes and

his results have always been very positive, he said.

Councilwoman Connie Boardman introduced the ordinance at the last

council meeting.

She did so at the repeated requests of many members of the

community, she said.

“Its been an issue since well before I was on the council,”

Boardman said.

Residents throughout the city, particularly those living Downtown

and in Huntington Harbour have been vocal about their feelings for

the planes.

One of those residents is Nancy Gibson. She’s lived in Huntington

Beach for 32 years and the noise seems to have gotten worse and worse

over the years, she said. The activity has especially increased in

the past few years, she said.

“The planes are definitely disruptive to our quality of life,” she

said.

Even though residents have complained about the planes for quite

some time, city officials were under the impression that they could

do nothing to prevent the planes from flying over the city. It was

thought that the planes fell under the jurisdiction of the Federal

Aviation Administration, Boardman said.

That changed in January when Judge Helen Gillmor of the 9th U.S.

Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco upheld a Honolulu ordinance

that gave cities the right to regulate aerial advertising.

Boardman cited that ruling at the last council meeting and

suggested that Huntington Beach adopt a similar ordinance.

The proposed ordinance is based on Honolulu’s ordinance and is

currently being reviewed by the City Attorney’s office.

It will be brought back before the council at the end of the

month.

LaVigne and other business owners, who disagree with the ordinance

will have an opportunity to address the council at that time

regarding the matter.