Years ago, the Village of Point Loma was blighted by a dozen or more billboards, the removal of which became a priority for the nonprofit Point Loma Association (PLA).
Only two of those billboards remain. But eliminating them, particularly the one left at Garrison and Rosecrans streets, is proving elusive.
A controversy has emerged between father-son Holly and Alan Murdock, owners of the Dolphin Motel at 2912 Garrison St.,  and the PLA over an existing billboard acquired by Dolphin on an adjacent parcel, named the Small Hotel at 1410 Rosecrans St., a four-room motel that Dolphin intends to expand its operations into.
PLA is an organization of residents and businesses created in 1961. It is committed to improving the quality of life of Point Loma through beautification, education, charitable activities and civic collaboration.
Robert Tripp Jackson, PLA president, said the group was approached by the Murdocks in February 2013. At that time, Jackson said the Murdocks, in a letter, offered the “permanent removal of the billboard” on their property at 1453-55 Rosecrans in exchange for the PLA’s support of their application for a parking variation with the city on their property.
Excerpts from the Murdocks’ 2013 letter:
“New city codes have greatly reduced the number of vehicles that can park there. … We ask your support to maintain the parking as is, for which we will have the billboard removed. The plans we are going to submit to the city create a major problem for us, and the people who presently park on the street. Our plans call for a handicap space. If the designated room is rented to a non-disabled person, the guest has to park on the street.”
Contacted by The Beacon, Alan Murdock, speaking on his father’s behalf, said:
“Other than to agree that there are two sides to every story, until we work through and resolve some legal issues in regard to this situation, it would be premature and inappropriate to comment any further.”
A recent application filed with the city on May 26 is asking for a site development permit to remove from a prior site development permit “the requirement to remove an existing billboard on the site of the four-room motel at 1453 Rosecrans St.
Another Point Loman and PLA member, Jim Southerland, noted the request the Murdock’s are seeking from the city for a parking variance would free them from the requirement that the “disabled parking space they need to provide has to be van-accessible, meaning it would take two regular parking spots.”
“He (Holly Murdock) sent a letter saying, ‘If I get this variance, I’ll take down the billboard.’ That was two years ago. Now they want that permit modified to remove the requirement to take down the billboard.”
Southerland noted that a further complication in this matter is the fact that the owner of the billboard, Clear Channel Outdoor, apparently has asked for “walking away” money for the loss of the sign, despite the fact that the sign is on a month-to-month lease.
Jackson met with the Murdocks and their architect, Dan Johnston, in April. He said that meeting produced no resolution and “a lot of mixed signals.” Jackson added “the removal of this billboard has never been wanted by the Murdocks,” whom he noted he’s been speaking to about the billboard “since 2007.”
“They need to honor their promise,” said Jackson of the Murdocks.
“The PLA is going to put a full-court press out there with people on Next Door and contacting the city and their councilmember,” Southerland said. “We’re going to fight taking the (parking) variance out, and try to hold him (Murdock) to his promise.”
“They need to honor their promise,” said Jackson of the Murdocks. “They want to break a promise — and a deal.”