REMOVING OUTDOOR BILLBOARDS REMAINS PRIORITY FOR COUNCIL.

Byline: Patricia Farrell Aidem Daily News Staff Writer

In a computer-enhanced photograph of a stretch of Soledad Canyon Road, there's something missing.

Gone is a billboard, and the result is a focus on trees and blue skies rather than a sign city officials say contributes to visual blight.

Removing billboards - particularly along San Fernando Road and Soledad Canyon Road - is one item on a long list of projects the city wants to accomplish in the coming years.

``The City Council has been very interested in removing as many billboards as possible,'' said Conal McNamara, an associate planner for Santa Clarita. ``They've discussed the possibility of setting aside money each year to pay for it, buying them out or finding another way to do it.

``Visual blight is the biggest concern.''

Removals can be costly - as much as $100,000 a sign - and the money has not been budgeted, McNamara said.

Another option is to allow landowners to develop their properties only on the condition that they have billboards removed, he said.

Many of the signs along Soledad and San Fernando fall within railroad rights-of-way, and the city has asked the Metropolitan Transportation Authority for funding to remove some of them, McNamara said.

``We did put in a request for funding to remove the billboards along San Fernando Road,'' McNamara added. ``We haven't sat down and talked with anyone yet.''

Several of the larger billboards on San Fernando Road were approved by the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors in late 1987, in the final days between voter approval of cityhood and the actual incorporation date.