Electronic billboard goes up in Villa Park, but will it stay up?

The electronic billboard that has riled some condominium owners in Villa Park will stay put until village officials can sort out the legal issues.

The village board's 3-3 vote on whether to grant Clear Channel Outdoor a special-use permit for the billboard "complicated things extremely," said Village President Tom Cullerton.

"Now, it's a matter of sitting down with the attorneys," he said.

Residents of nearby condo complexes have complained about the bright, flickering light from the 80-foot billboard shining through their windows at night.

Clear Channel Outdoor obtained a permit for the sign, which was installed in May. About the same time, the village also decided to set up a licensing process for electronic billboards. Only one license would be allowed at a time, and the billboard owner would also have to apply for a special-use permit.

"What we had wanted to do was not get inundated with electronic billboard applications," Cullerton said.

Now, with the board taking no action because of the tie vote, the existing billboard is in legal limbo.

Cullerton said he has "no clue" now what to do now about the billboard installed on private property - the Motel 6 parking lot - and has asked Village Attorney David Freeman to research the options,

"By not passing it (the special use permit), it could cost us a lot of money," Cullerton said.

In the meantime, the village has sent housing inspectors into one of the condo complexes to take light readings, Cullerton said.

"Any situation that comes up from residents," he said, "we try to do our best to work with them and find solutions," he said.