Residents oppose proposal for LED billboards in Miami – NBC 6 South Florida

Large LED billboards could soon be popping up all over Miami, but not if some residents have their way. 

“We are not a Times Square, we are not a Hong Kong or Piccadilly Circus in London,” said James Torres, the president of the Downtown Neighbors Alliance.

Torres said lit-up messages around the city will only take away from Miami’s beauty that people moved here for. 

He is not alone in his thinking. A Change.org petition he started a few days ago has more than 1,500 signatures. 

“It will degrade the city,” one commenter said. “Miami has its own flavor without replicating NYC. No insult to NYC. Miami is different.”

Others echoed” “Light pollution will ruin the quality of life for residents….”

The proposal would allow 45 billboards up to 10,000 square feet in size and allow vinyl murals around the city to be converted to LED lights from around 6 p.m. until midnight, with the exception of any billboards directly facing residential units or preventing windows from opening. 

Even with those provisions, the commissioner for the downtown district, Sabina Covo, is opposed.

“I think that the quality of life of the residents could be disturbed by the pollution that these installations could cause,” she said. 

Covo said she’s received dozens of emails voicing opposition. 

“As a commissioner, we are the advocates for what the neighborhood wants,” Covo added.

It seems these neighbors want to keep the lights off. 

“We all love New York City, right, but it’s to visit,” Torres said.

Mayor Francis, Suarez, the sponsor of the ordinance, said he will be taking input from the community and the city commission to determine whether this legislation is in the city’s best interest.

A first reading of the ordinance is scheduled for Thursday morning. A vote will follow in the coming weeks.