University Daily Kansan
Thursday, February 15, 1973
7
Visual Clutter Infringes on City
By DANGEORGE
Korean Staff Writer
There's a major pollution problem in Lawrence, according to several concerned citizens, but it has nothing to do with the fouling of the air by local industrial plants. Or with the scarcity of clean water in the Kaw River.
It's called visual pollution—and is caused by crops of billboards that spring up on the way into town and ugly images of sex, drugs or violence are a part of every American city.
According to local environmental leaders, George Coggins and Dick Ruppert, it is especially prominent in Lawrence, where they say poor planning and individual interests have taken over the business of several of the main thoroughfares.
The major objects of their are 23rd, Iowa and Sixth streets, all of which are dotted with various grocery stations and franchise restaurants.
"Our overall attitude," said Cogins, professor of law and president of the local Sierra Club, "is one of dmays at the hinky-character of 23rd Street, which comes from a lack of planning on the part of the city commission."
"TWENTY-THIRD STREET is notorious for visual blight," said Ruppert, professor of economics and president of the Douglas County Environment Improvement Council, who said Stretch is not really an aesthetic delight.
“It’s a major problem in Lawrence, and perhaps the major kind of pollution here if it’s combined with congestion and traffic hazards.”
But Coggins said that the problem was not confined to only those areas.
"It also takes into effect dilapidated buildings, the atrocious approach to building without old mull there and, of course, the developments on 23rd, Iowa and Sixth," he said. "All of these things go together in making it a whole lot worse than before."
Ruppert said failure of city planners to follow through on past proposals was a principal cause of such visual pollution.
"The comprehensive plan of ten years ago," he said, "shows the major throughfares to be divided, like the planting of a field or the plants planted along the middle of them.
"But if you look at 15th Street now, you don't have trees planted down the middle. You've got former trees with utility wires on them. I wonder how much simpler it would have been to run those wires underground?"
ANOTHER PERSON concerned about the haphazard appearance of these areas, but from an aesthetic viewpoint, was Dolo Brooking, museum assistant at Spooner Art Museum. Brooking said the clutter and confusion created feelings of insensitivity and craziness that tended to dull the spirit.
"It says we have been insensitive to how our environment affects us visually," she said. "This is a conflict in our society between the public good and the private. If needs to be discussed. An offensive sign infringes on everyone's welfare."
Although housing and outlying areas were mentioned, there was little doubt that the biggest source of concern for the campaign was Ruppert was the commercial areas.
"When you talk about pollution the first thing that's mentioned is 23rd Street," Brookins said. "It's almost a cliché, a joke in the city of Lawrence."
The most noticeable aspect of 23rd Street and its related thoroughfares is the preponderance of signs and commercial businesses.
ACCORDING TO Ken Jorgensen,
Lawrence building official, each
business is limited to two wall signs and
one ground sign. The wall signs may not
be attached to the wall or to the
wall to which they are attached and
must be at least eight feet off the
ground but not extending over the
building's roof. The ground sign may be
not exceeding 9 square feet, unless
approved by the city commission.
Jorgensen said it was rare, however, for the commission to refuse a request because of the lack of experience although businesses were limited to three signs, there was no limiting of additional businesses that might want to locate on 23rd or other commercial streets.
Most of the billboards and business signs in Lawrence are supplied by two firms, Martin Outdoor Signs, Topeka, and Barnard Signs, Lawrence. Spokesmen for both companies said that although there was a trend to eliminate signs for environmental reasons, they have received no specific
complaints from individuals or civic groups.
"We try to comply to the rules and regulations," Larry Hirshey, office manager for Barnard Signs, said. "We just go along with the building inspector's instructions. It's all regulated."
"The idea that businessmen are entitled to make a profit has led the city commission into unnecessary uplification," Coggins said. "But anymore I think it realizes it's in the process of creating a monster."
VIEWS ABOUT the possibility of improving the visual pollution situation in Lawrence, range from Cognays' outright pessimism to Rupert's outright pessimism.
"A change for the better is inevitable.
If you let your slide and you build up to a crisis, then something drastic is needed. Sooner or later, it'll happen here."
Ruppert, who said the Mr. Steak restaurant, 920 W. 22d St., and the University State Bank, 955 Iowa St., were examples of care in planning, said he was discouraged because of the lack of knowledge when the city showed to its problem.
"I was hopeful a year ago," he said, but I've become more pessimistic, noting the tendency to put more signs in Iowa between 23rd and 27th streets.
"It's bad because we have an advantage with this type of pollution in that we can handle it or the local level if we can't," said Hogan, a more stringent enforcement of them."
Kansan Photos