Peoria Case Scenarios

In 2014, a digital billboard company wanted to install a 180-foot billboard on the northwest corner of Loop 101 and Bell Road. This land belongs to the city of Glendale, however, the boards would be placed near Peoria neighborhoods. Though Glendale allows billboards along their portion of the Loop 101 near their sports venues, Peoria does not allow billboards, at all.

Peoria leadership met with Glendale’s mayor and other leadership members to discuss our concerns. Glendale saw the billboards as an opportunity to raise much needed revenues, while Peoria had issues with the location so close to Peoria residents and businesses.

The fine line with this campaign was to not interfere with another city’s governance, while at the same time, building
opposition within both cities to the billboard initiative. In order for the billboards to be constructed it needed approval from the Glendale City Council.

I crafted a PR campaign to raise awareness among Peoria and Glendale residents about the issue of billboards being installed so close to communities. The goal was to create opposition to the boards through a grass-roots effort and promote that our communities are more attractive without billboards along the Loop 101 in Peoria and northern Glendale.

The campaign included editorials by the Peoria City Councilmember who represented the district which would be impacted by the boards, a former Glendale mayor, community members, as well as Glendale community leaders. This included the president of Midwestern University, whose campus is near the freeway on 59th Avenue. She also lived in the Arrowhead community, which some residents would be able to see these boards, as well. The editorials had two messages in opposition to the boards: The boards would not generate enough revenue to benefit the city of Glendale, and; digital billboards, which would stand 180 feet would be an eyesore to the communities and take away from the quality of life and the sunsets residents and commuters enjoy.

I produced mailers delivered to the residents in Peoria who were most likely to be impacted by the signs.
The mailers provided information on the billboard issue, as well as contact information to voice any concerns. In addition, the city website and city newsletters contained positive messaging about the quality of life Peoria residents enjoy, our city’s sign ordinance and upcoming neighborhood meetings. The neighborhood meetings were held by residents who took a leadership role in the opposition to the billboards. I was able to provide informational fliers and displays depicting how the billboards would look from their
homes.

The billboard company tried to calm community fears concerning the height of the two proposed billboards by using a crane with a large flag. I was able to take photos of their display and use the dimensions of the boards which were provided in their proposal to the city to create graphics and a 3-D scale model to accurately demonstrate what these boards would look like. This was an effective tool in telling our side of the story to the residents and businesses.

To help build a community campaign, I hired a public affairs consultant to meet with neighborhood groups to educate and organize against the billboard company. The company held “neighborhood” meetings, usually several miles away from the affected communities, to promote the value of their project. Residents from Glendale and Peoria attended these meetings to voice their opposition. In addition, these residents attended Glendale City Council meetings to voice their concerns, as well. The residents wore a green sticker that read “No Billboards.” At once City Council meeting, more than 60 residents spoke in opposition to the boards.

As part of the public relations strategy, I secured print, radio and television media to cover the issue.
The local newspapers reported on the issues on a monthly basis, if not more often. I provided regular press releases to the media outlets and followed up with specific reporters depending on any new developments. KTAR and channels 3 and 10 interviewed residents, as well as the billboard company representative. The print and broadcast media then followed the story to the Glendale City Council meetings, where again they spoke to residents in opposition and some of the attendees who were hired by the law firm representing the billboard company. Unfortunately for the law firm, their attendees did not know why they were there, but they were receiving pizza for their efforts!

Through the effective use of media relations, community relations, public affairs and strategic positive messaging through social media, websites and collateral, the billboard ordinance was stopped. In fact, the Glendale City Council wrote a new ordinance which prohibits any billboards along their city boundary along the Loop 101 from Union Hills to 67th
Avenue.