With the first discussion in months at hand over economic development in the southeastern part of Culver City, here is a question for environmental aficionados:

Will tonight be a NIMBY showdown at Not in My Backyard Corral?

For his first-ever City Council meeting as the vice mayor of Culver City, tonight at 7 o’clock in Council Chambers, Andy Weissman will carry one fervent wish in each of his suit coat pockets.

With a raucous, partisan, anti-billboard crowd anticipated for the Council discussion about sprucing up the Fox Hills area, the vice mayor will be cradling two dominant thoughts:

• “I am hopeful that at the outset of the presentation by (city) staff, they will be able to make clear this is not a proposal about billboards. Not signage. This is about economic development in one neighborhood of the city.”
• “I hope we can get to the point in our discussion to ask, ‘where do we go next?’ instead of having to merely continue the matter. I repeat, this is not a billboard proposal.”

Ever since the Carlyle Group introduced the subject of lavishly upgrading the southeastern section of Culver City, just beneath the Fox Hills community, and signage on buildings was mentioned as one way of attracting developer interest in the neighborhood, this has been tagged The Billboard Project. Supporters vehemently reject this label as inaccurate.

“This meeting is ‘way more important than a talk about billboards,” says Mr. Weissman.

“This is a discussion about what can we do to promote economic development and revitalization of an entire corner of the city.

“I would hope we can get to a discussion of ways we can incentivize developers to provide the infrastructure improvements the city cannot afford to do on its own in the context of developments. We are talking about developments that don’t have anything to do, in any way, with signs.”