National Advertising Co. v. Village of Downers Grove

561 N.E.2d 1300, 204 Ill. App. 3d 499, 149 Ill. Dec. 604, 1990 Ill. App. LEXIS 1577
CourtAppellate Court of Illinois
DecidedOctober 10, 1990
Docket2-89-1292
StatusPublished
Cited by18 cases

This text of 561 N.E.2d 1300 (National Advertising Co. v. Village of Downers Grove) is published on Counsel Stack Legal Research, covering Appellate Court of Illinois primary law. Counsel Stack provides free access to over 12 million legal documents including statutes, case law, regulations, and constitutions.

Bluebook
National Advertising Co. v. Village of Downers Grove, 561 N.E.2d 1300, 204 Ill. App. 3d 499, 149 Ill. Dec. 604, 1990 Ill. App. LEXIS 1577 (Ill. Ct. App. 1990).

Opinion

JUSTICE DUNN

delivered the opinion of the court:

National Advertising Co. (National) brought suit against the Village of Downers Grove (Village), challenging the constitutionality of its outdoor sign ordinance. It also sought reversal of the Village’s zoning board of appeals decision denying it a variance from the ordinance’s size restrictions. The trial court granted summary judgment to Downers Grove, and National now appeals.

National is engaged in the business of outdoor advertising. It makes its signs available for commercial and noncommercial messages. In 1983, National leased property near a highway in Downers Grove’s B-3 zoning district and applied for a permit to display a double-faced outdoor advertising sign measuring 14 by 48 feet on a sign structure 67 feet high. Under Downers Grove’s sign ordinance, an advertising sign is defined as any sign that directs attention to a business, product, or activity available or conducted at a location other than on the zoning lot upon which the sign is located. This type of sign is also commonly known as an off-site or off-premise sign. Advertising or off-site signs are allowed in Downers Grove in one district — B-3—and signs in the B-3 district may not exceed 20 feet in height and 200 square feet in area.

Because National’s proposed sign exceeded the size and height permitted in the B-3 district, it was denied a sign permit. National applied to the zoning board of appeals for a variance on the size limitation, which was also denied. It then filed this four-count complaint. In count I, National challenged the decision of the zoning board of appeals. In count II, National claimed that the zoning ordinance was impermissibly more restrictive than the provisions of the Highway Advertising Control Act of 1971 (Ill. Rev. Stat. 1987, ch. 121, par. 501 et seq.). This argument was raised and rejected by interlocutory appeal in National Advertising Co. v. Village of Downers Grove (1988), 166 Ill. App. 3d 58, resulting in the dismissal of count II.

National had also asserted in count II that it sought to display advertising signs on leased space of three properties in the M-l district. These facts were incorporated by reference into counts III and IV. Signs in the M-l district and the other business and manufacturing districts are permitted so long as they pertain to the business on the premises. And, there is also one exception. Noncommercial copy of any nature may be displayed in these districts as well as in the B-3 district. The size of the signs in districts other than B-3 is determined by the frontage area of the property, i.e., signs in the M-l district may not exceed one square foot per foot of lot frontage. The signs permitted in these other districts are also commonly referred to as on-site or on-premise signs.

In count III National first claimed that the zoning ordinance in effect in 1983 violated the first amendment to the United States Constitution as a content-based regulation. In 1983, the sign ordinance did not state that all noncommercial copy was permissible. It allowed only noncommercial copy related to political messages. In 1987, the Village amended the ordinance to allow all noncommercial copy. National asserted in count III that the Village improperly amended the ordinance; it also claimed that the amended ordinance violated the first amendment.

In count IV National asserted a violation of due process under the fourteenth amendment and a taking under the fifth amendment, claiming that Downers Grove had no rational basis for limiting its signs to 20 feet in height and 200 square feet in area.

In January 1985 the parties entered an interim settlement agreement that permitted National to display its sign in the B-3 district and to display signs in the M-l district on the properties it had mentioned in count II. The agreement stated that National would be permitted to maintain such signs in the event that the sign ordinance was found invalid; but, if valid, National would be required to remove the signs within 30 days.

The trial court found the sign ordinance valid and granted summary judgment to Downers Grove. National now raises the following issues on appeal: (1) whether the trial court erred in ruling that the 1987 amended ordinance applied to this case; (2) whether the trial court erred in granting Downers Grove summary judgment on National’s first amendment claim and whether the amended ordinance violates the first amendment; (3) whether the ordinance violates due process; (4) whether National has suffered a taking under the fifth amendment; and (5) whether the court erred in affirming the decision of the Downers Grove zoning board of appeals. For the reasons stated below, we affirm.

National first contends the court erred in applying Downers Grove’s 1987 amended ordinance to this case. In a twist of logic, National argues that the 1983 ordinance must apply rather than the 1987 amended ordinance that corrects the asserted unconstitutional regulation. National contends the ordinance in effect in 1983 was an impermissible, content-based regulation because it allowed only one type of noncommercial message, political. The amendment did away with the content-based exception for political speech by adding an exception for all noncommercial copy.

A legislative body has a continuing right to amend an ordinance even while litigation involving the ordinance is pending, and the court must decide the case in accordance with the law in effect at the time of decision. (Gust v. Village of Skokie (1984), 125 Ill. App. 3d 102, 105-06; Sagittarius, Inc. v. Village of Arlington Heights (1980), 90 Ill. App. 3d 401, 404.) At the time the trial court decided the case by summary judgment in 1989, the 1987 amendment was in effect. Thus, the trial court properly applied the amendment to this action. National’s arguments to the contrary are without merit.

National erroneously compares this case to Phillips Petroleum Co. v. City of Park Ridge (1958), 16 Ill. App. 2d 555, ‘arguing that Downers Grove wrongfully denied its applications for permits, thus preventing it from acquiring a vested right before the ordinance was amended. In Phillips, the plaintiff applied for a building permit in conformance with the applicable zoning, ordinance. The city, however, passed a resolution to temporarily stop building permits from being issued and then amended the zoning ordinance to disallow plaintiff’s intended use of the property. (Phillips, 16 Ill. App. 2d at 557-59.) The court determined that the city lacked the power to pass a resolution that kept building permits from being issued, and, but for the improper ordinance, plaintiff would have acquired a vested right under the zoning ordinance. (Phillips, 16 Ill. App. 2d at 564-66.) These facts are dissimilar to this case. Here, National’s permit application did not conform to the zoning ordinance; it failed to comply with the zoning ordinance’s size requirements. Furthermore, Downers Grove did not act outside its authority by enacting a temporary resolution that stopped National’s permit from otherwise being issued. Downers Grove did not act in midstream to stop National from acquiring a vested right.

National also contends that it had a vested right under the 1983 ordinance. Where a law has been amended, a prior law will be recognized where to do otherwise would affect a vested right. (Gust, 125 Ill. App. 3d at 106; Maiter v.

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Bluebook (online)
561 N.E.2d 1300, 204 Ill. App. 3d 499, 149 Ill. Dec. 604, 1990 Ill. App. LEXIS 1577, Counsel Stack Legal Research, https://law.counselstack.com/opinion/national-advertising-co-v-village-of-downers-grove-illappct-1990.