Violation of San Vicente Specific Plan
From the Brentwood Community Council
After vociferous community complaints regarding the Whole Foods digital billboards located in the parking lot and facing San Vicente, the City has shut the signs down. While the billboards are attached to free EV charging units, the flashing, digitized signage is not allowed on San Vicente. The signage has been flashing/scrolling advertising 24 hours per day.
Although the free EV charging stations still operate and are legal, there is a process to ensure signage placed on San Vicente meets design guidelines which all businesses follow; further, some residents note the irony of Whole Foods, an eco-conscious brand, removing copious, carbon-absorbing, native greenery in front of the store to install digital billboards.
Neither Whole Foods nor their vendor, Volta Charging, obtained the necessary approval for the 6 foot x 2.5 foot digital billboards, which are not used for Whole Foods advertising, they are general use advertising billboards. The signs were installed using a permit for an electrical EV charger not a digital billboard.
Whole Foods and Volta were offered several mitigating options but have refused to install something that complies with local zoning. The City ordered the billboards to be turned off and not used as a sign and it is now up to the property owner that leases to Whole Foods to comply with the City order. They can keep them off or work with the community to come up with an alternative.
