AGOURA HILLS : Settlement May Be Near in Sign Dispute

An Agoura Hills businessman who sued the city in an attempt to keep his outlawed freeway sign said this week that the two sides, which have been working quietly to reach a compromise, may be nearing a settlement.

“This is the first substantial conversation we’ve had with the city,” said Jess Ruf, Lumber City owner. “We’ve tried to negotiate with the city for years, and this is the first mutual attempt to get somewhere.”

Ruf and 11 other business owners sued the city last year in an attempt to keep their freeway signs, which the city outlawed in 1985. The city says the signs spoil the scenery, but the businesses say they need them to attract customers from the freeway.

Ruf said he met last week with Mayor Louise Rishoff and other city officials to talk about a compromise. He declined to be specific, however, saying he does not want to jeopardize the negotiations. Dave Anderson, the city’s community development director, confirmed that a meeting took place, but declined to elaborate.

“At this moment, it’s all privileged information, until any agreement has been reached,” Anderson said.

Ruf, whose sign is 24 feet high, said he received a letter from the city, dated May 23, rejecting his latest settlement offer. The city then made a counteroffer, which Ruf said he found more agreeable. He said an architect is drawing up plans for a new sign that he hopes will be acceptable to the city.

Bob Aran, an attorney for Ruf and three of the other businesses, said that to the best of his knowledge, Ruf is the only owner who is even close to a reaching a compromise with the city.

The city last month notified two of the other businesses, Fence Factory and Roadside Lumber, that the city considers them to be in violation of numerous zoning laws, and gave them until Aug. 1 to bring their establishments into compliance.

Fence Factory and Roadside Lumber say that the city is retaliating against them for suing the city, and that it is trying to scare them into dropping the suit. Furthermore, owners of the two businesses say, the city has never spelled out what the alleged violations are.

Fence Factory says it offered to replace its freeway sign with a slightly smaller sign, and Roadside Lumber says it offered to consolidate into one sign several smaller signs at its site. The city says it refused both offers.

City officials point out that the freeway sign ban received overwhelming public support in two separate referendums. Officials say many Agoura Hills residents have been urging them to be more strict with businesses that refuse to take down their freeway signs.