County stops all new

billboards for six months
By Scott Nicholson

The Watauga County Board of Commissioners put all new billboards on hold for six months to give the county more time to review possible changes to the county sign ordinance.

The commissioners held a public hearing Monday morning on the moratorium, which was originally adopted last June. However, that moratorium, which was extended once, dealt only with changeable electronic variable message signs.

The new moratorium also includes traditional billboards, based on a recommendation by the planning board.

Jamie Machut, president of the North Carolina Outdoor Advertising Association and an official with Lamar Outdoor Advertising, said during the public hearing he didn’t believe the county had complete information and had not consulted his industry in crafting recommendations.

The county planning board had recommended an ordinance change to regulate digital signs and also ban all new billboards.

Existing billboards could be replaced with digital signs under the proposal but could not be replaced if they were damaged beyond 40 percent of their value.

Machut’s company has operated 1,500 billboard faces and 15 digital billboards.

Machut said his company operated three local digital signs that had been built and operated according to existing ordinances, which currently allow messages to change every eight seconds. One recommendation would expand that requirement to 15 seconds per message.

Machut added, the recommendation to nearly double the amount of time required between message changes constituted a “taking” that would have to be compensated.

He suggested the county would be liable for lost revenue because digital billboards would show fewer messages. Machut was also concerned about a provision in the planning board’s recommendation that would give the county arbitrary discretion to regulate sign content and colors.

He also questioned testimony that held such signs were dangerous to motorists. “There’s no definite evidence that there are safety issues at all,” Machut said. “I’m not sure you guys have all the right information.”

Dr. Tara Connelly, Emergency Medical Services director for Watauga County, submitted a letter saying billboards were a distraction that diverted drivers’ attention from the road.

She said additional messages arouses a “startle reflex” and said signs with lighting in the background affect drivers’ fields of vision. The commissioners voted unanimously to extend the moratorium on digital signs and traditional billboards for another six months.

During that time, no off-premises signs of any kind can be constructed while the commissioners review the sign ordinance. That ordinance was originally adopted in 1985 and hadn’t been revised to address emerging technology, instead relying on state standards.

The commissioners enacted a moratorium on digital signs on June 23 after receiving public comments about digital signs, sending the matter to the planning board.

The planning board requested an extension in November, broadening the review to include a ban on all new billboards in the county.

The second moratorium was set to expire April 23. The new moratorium says, “The use of changeable message signs is relatively novel, and the County would like more opportunity to identify, collect and review all studies and options available, to have ample opportunity to hear from those in the industry, the DOT (N.C. Department of Transportation), and the public, and to address the stated issues and seek consensus.”

The moratorium, which has the power of an ordinance, also says, “Without appropriate planning and regulation on the part of the County, the existence and use of changeable message signs may negatively impact upon public health and welfare and upon property values within the County.”

Machut said he agreed with the moratorium but asked the county to consult outdoor advertising industry representatives before making any final decisions.