The rendering depicts the westbound view of the proposed Sunset Cinema Project on Sunset Boulevard. (rendering courtesy of Florencia Pita & Co.)

West Hollywood’s Sunset Strip could see a new 84-foot-tall, two-sided billboard over the existing SOFA Entertainment building at 9121 Sunset Blvd.

The West Hollywood Planning Commission is scheduled to hold a public hearing on the proposed full-motion animated billboard, known as the Sunset Cinema Project, on Sept. 17 at 6:30 p.m.

Devin Carothers submitted the application for the Sunset Cinema Project on behalf of Orange Barrel Media.

Located on the north side of Sunset Boulevard, the billboard would sit atop a two-story French Revival commercial building constructed by Milten Bren in 1935. The property is eligible for designation in West Hollywood’s Commercial Historic Resources Survey as a cultural resource. Longtime owners of the property, the Solt family, have committed to the Cultural Resource designation once the billboard entitlements are granted, according to the project summary.

“Historic designation would ensure that this classical French Revival building, representing early commercialization on the Sunset Strip in the 1920s and 30s, remains preserved for future generations,” the project summary reads. “17.5% of total screen time will be dedicated to civic announcements and public arts programming curated by the city of West Hollywood Arts Division, contributing to the broader public realm.” 

Architect Florencia Pita & Co. designed the billboard to resemble a stage curtain, and it will be constructed from folded and perforated aluminum. Each billboard would face Sunset Boulevard at a 77.75-degree angle and would offer about 950 square feet of visible advertising area.

“The design celebrates the Sunset Strip’s legacy of creative performance,” applicant Orange Barrel Media wrote in the project summary.

Under West Hollywood’s Sunset Boulevard Off-Site Signage Policy, the maximum allowed billboard height is 35 feet. If approved, the 84 foot tall billboard would exceed the limit by 49 feet. The project would require the Planning Commission to amend the off-site signage policy.

The Sunset Cinema Project exceeds other limits, including the maximum allowable distance between the billboard and the building by approximately 16 feet, the total sign area of new billboards by 1,036 square feet and the total sign area of new digital billboards by 536 square feet,

Because of these violations of the off-site signage policy, the project is classified as an alternative project under the West Hollywood Sunset Boulevard billboard policy.

The designation requires the developer to provide an “extraordinary public benefit.” If approved the project would enter a 30-year development agreement with the city, with a formal preservation plan and upkeep mandates for the historic property. 

The proposed development agreement calls on the developer to pay an additional $500,000 in public benefit payments spread evenly across years three through seven of the development.

Martin B. Ross, who has lived in West Hollywood for 32 years, is concerned about potential impacts on quality of life that the Sunset Cinema Project could pose. In a public comment letter to the West Hollywood Planning Commission, Ross cited increased traffic congestion, noise and light pollution, increased air pollution and potential harm to drivers and pedestrians on the road. 

“The public benefits proposed by the applicant, and the revenue the signage would generate for the city, are appealing and worthwhile,” Ross wrote. “However, they would come at a significant cost to the hundreds of residents whose quality of life would be diminished as a result.”

Ladd Jackson, a 31-year resident of the Norma Triangle neighborhood, cited similar concerns in a written comment to the Planning Commission.

“The rapid proliferation of these giant digital screens is actively degrading our city,” Jackson wrote. “The project promises millions of dollars over the years in revenue, but past projects have come up severely short on their similar promises. Not only that, now you want a billboard that will be 49 feet higher than all the rest. This is not Times Square or Tokyo, and completely destroying the charm of the city by erecting this giant blot on the landscape must not be allowed.”

If constructed, the Sunset Cinema Project will be the first commercial advertisement sign placed on the historic SOFA Entertainment building.

The design has already gone through several rounds of review, and if approved by the Planning Commission, the Sunset Cinema Project will go to the City Council for review on a a yet-to-be-determined date.