Ugly benches advertise county's lack of resolve

© St. Petersburg Times,
published October 28, 2001

The toothy-grinned real estate agent stares at you from the side of the road.

There he is again. And again.

Persistent? No.

Prolific? Yes.

His face is plastered on a share of the benches that punctuate western Pasco County's roads. Why someone would want their likeness so close to a spot intended for somebody else's keister remains a mystery.

But, the smiling Realtor isn't alone. Advertisements for attorneys, exterminators, music stores, carpet sellers, storage units and scores of other professional services and retail outlets have turned bus benches into street-level billboards.

They are prime advertising spots because, let's face it, there are so few pedestrians along Pasco's busiest roads. No pedestrians and a minimal number of public transit riders mean few people sit on the benches and block the advertisers' messages.

The gimmick, around Pasco County for a decade, has caught the ire of the citizens group Scenic Pasco, and county commissioners are again reviewing how they should regulate outdoor advertising. The issue surfaced a half-dozen years ago, but a solution has been elusive.

Getting a precise count on the benches is also elusive. The county says it has 432 permitted sites where the benches are allowed. Scenic Pasco contends the list includes duplications and 310 is a more accurate figure. A review of county documents supports the group's argument.

Coincidentally, the first bench company to do business in Pasco, Metropolitan Systems, said it has 310 benches here, but county records show it has only 185 permits.

Simple explanation. The county does not control placement along state roads. In other words, it's a free-for-all on the busiest roads in west Pasco, U.S. 19 and State Roads 52 and 54.

Scenic Pasco counted benches along an 8.5-mile stretch of U.S. 19 and found a bench every 250 feet. Heck, in some spots, you don't even need a bench to get your message out. At U.S. 19 and Clemens Boulevard sits a pile of wood and concrete, remnants of a bench at the entrance to the Senate Manor Mobile Home Park. Propped up against the pile of rubble is the accompanying placard advertising an ice cream shop.

With more than one company competing to sell advertising, the benches have added more roadside tackiness to Pasco.

"It's horrible up there," says Andrew Moos. "It's like no other place in the state of Florida."

Pot, meet the black kettle.

Moos, of course, is part of the problem, according to critics. He is the statewide coordinator for Metropolitan Systems, the for-profit company affiliated with the Junior Chamber of Commerce (Jaycees), which has benches in Pasco County and 49 other locales around the state.

Moos said 46 of his company's 310 benches in Pasco carry commercial advertising. Sigler Signs of Port Richey has permits for 123 benches. Exactly how many the company has is unknown.

The original intent of the benches was a public service. People would get a convenient place to rest, and the advertising revenue would benefit charity groups.

Metropolitan Services said it shares proceeds with the New Port Richey Jaycees, which is hardly a high-profile civic organization in west Pasco. The county's contract with Sigler requires the company to donate $5 a month for each bench carrying advertising to a United Way agency.

The county clerk's office is now doing an audit to see whether the contract provisions are being met. Commissioner Steve Simon doubts they are and noted the contracts carry no expiration date.

So, this supposed public service is, in actuality, perpetually free use of public land for private gain. Ironic, considering the county prohibits use of county right of way by hot dog carts, car dealers, and any other commercial vendor.

The county's legal staff is researching options for commissioners to consider. But, don't be surprised if the county goes to court to void its own contracts and then attempts to start over with more stringent regulation of the benches.

"The people of Pasco County should hope for better aesthetic regulations from our county government and from our businesses that work here," said Kathryn Starkey of Scenic Pasco. "We should all want the county to look better."

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