Fall River city councilors asked the city’s legal department to develop a list of possible ordinances to limit billboards.

 

The city council’s Committee on Ordinances & Legislation unanimously approved Councilor Linda Pereira’s motion at its July 23 meeting. Pereira introduced the topic to the full city council in June; the council referred it to the committee.

 

“I do not want to turn our waterfront into Las Vegas,” said Councilor Michelle Dionne.

 

The future of the recently rebuilt Route 79/Davol Street Corridor along Fall River’s waterfront has sparked lively discussion, with over 20 acres available for residential and retail development. Earlier this year, an electronic billboard went up in the corridor. Its special permit dates to 2021 and allows it to reach a height of 50 feet.

 

“I want our waterfront to be more in line with Newport, where it makes people happy,” Dionne said.

 

Though Pereira's motion doesn't single out waterfront billboards, councilors honed in on that area during their discussion. They formally asked the Office of the Corporation Counsel to examine other cities’ and towns’ billboard regulations to get a better idea of what Fall River could implement.

 

According to the MassDOT’s Office of Outdoor Advertising, the towns of Lexington, Concord and Lincoln are “outdoor advertising free zones,” as is the Boston neighborhood of Charlestown.