We reported last week that a local SoMa activist complained that illegal Verizon signs had been plastered on 4 Embarcadero Center, and now, that sign is on its way down.
The signs, advertising both Verizon and Super Bowl 50, were affixed to multiple stories of both sides of the building overlooking areas of the upcoming Super Bowl City. Following media reports about it, City Attorney Dennis Herrera determined that it was illegal and had to be removed by 5pm today, or the city would sue for a temporary restraining order mandating that the signs be immediately taken down.
4 Embarcadero last week.
Only the Verizon portion of the sign is being removed; the Host Committee confirmed it would leave up the Super Bowl 50 logo and Lombardi trophy. Matt Dorsey, communications director for the City Attorney's office, said that portion of the sign falls within the law for a temporary, civic celebratory sign; it's akin to posting World Series banners on light poles.
"We've been working cooperatively with the sponsors—the Host Committee, Verizon—to make sure they're complying with the law," Dorsey said. "They came right to the table and sat down. We're all grateful we were able to work cooperatively."
Nathan Ballard, a spokesperson for the Host Committee, sent an email reading, "The situation was the result of honest miscommunication and misunderstanding about the contours of the Planning Code and permissible signage, and all parties are working diligently and in good faith to rectify this issue as quickly as possible. We are now 100 percent in agreement with the city attorney about this issue."
We asked the Host Committee if Boston Properties, which owns Embarcadero Center, was paid for use of the building to post the sign, and if so, how much. Ballard replied in the email, "We are not going to discuss that." We also left a message with Boston Properties, which owns the Embarcadero Center, to ask who gave permission for the ad and whether it had received payment for it, but didn't immediately hear back.
Dorsey noted that a sponsor name is allowed on a sign, provided it's no more than 15 percent of the sign itself. As an example, he noted, a banner could say, "San Francisco Opera, sponsored by AT&T," as long as the sponsor name doesn't exceed 15 percent. The sign on 4 Embarcadero was obviously in violation.
Dorsey added, "We don't have the ability to waive the law on one event." If an exception was made for the Super Bowl, he said, it could open up the city to having making exceptions for other events such as corporate conferences; the city hosts 40–50 of those each year.
