Billboard in San Pedro is being taken down after decades of complaints from residents

After decades of complaints, a billboard at the end of the 110 Freeway in San Pedro is being dismantled. 

“A community can come together and fight back against a big, multi billion dollar Goliath and actually win,” City Councilor Tim Mcosker said.

He shared drone video of the billboard at the end of 110 freeway coming down Tuesday, after a decades-long fight to remove it.

“I am gratified on behalf of the community, that after years of working on this, that this billboard is finally coming down,” Mcosker said. 

The city has been working since the start of the millennium to remove the billboard. 

It even bought the land under it and was waiting out the lease to Regency billboard, which ended last December, except Regency didn’t take the billboard down.

“We filed litigation called unlawful detainer, just kicking them off the property because they were squatting on the property,” Mcosker said. 

That lawsuit moved the needle and Regency sent out crews yesterday to start the removal process.

The company has not returned requests for comment.

“I’m sort of glad that it's gone, and let’s hope that we get something that will more replicate what our community is all about,” Jim Spinosa, a San Pedro resident, said.

Long time residents like Spinosa, who has lived in San Pedro all his life, are glad to see it go.

Other neighbors say it was blight on the entrance to the community and distracting for drivers causing a lot of accidents. They’ve complained for decades.

“It has taken too long to resolve it, I’m glad it’s gone,” Spinosa said. 

 It could take a little longer to get us all removed.

A couple of workers breaking down the sign were injured in a fall Tuesday.

It is not clear when the work will start again, when they finish.

The city will work at beautifying the area around where the sign was, improving the pedestrian bridge as well.