[Durham INC] Poll: Residents support current billboard ordinance (Herald-Sun)

[John Schelp]

Poll: Residents support current billboard ordinance
Herald-Sun. 3 October 2009

A poll commissioned by the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau finds overwhelming support for the billboard ordinance that now exists.

Support for the existing ordinance was nearly 9-to-1 overall, with the ratio of strongly agree to strongly disagree at 8.4-to-1. In all, 72 percent of residents supported the existing ordinance, 20 percent were undecided and 8 percent did not support the current ordinance.

In recent months, Fairway Outdoor Advertising has lobbied the city to loosen its billboard restrictions, in part to allow electronic billboards.

[See letters from the community supporting Durham's current billboard ban here... http://supportdurhambillboardban.com/]

Reyn Bowman, president and CEO of the Durham Convention and Visitors Bureau, said he was surprised by the results. Forty percent of the population, he noted, did not even live here when the ordinance was passed.

Newcomers who have lived here two years or fewer supported the ordinance by a ratio of 4.5-to-1 while those here three to five years were 9-to-1 in favor, and those here six to 10 years in favor by 20-to-1. 

Residents of 11 to 20 years supported the ordinance by 14-to-1 and those living in Durham more than 21 years showed support by a margin of 8-to-1.

The general manager with Fairway Outdoor Advertising, which has been a proponent of changing the ordinance, was on vacation and unavailable for comment, according to a company employee.

Another interesting finding of the poll, Bowman said, is that there was no correlation between respondents' pride in Durham and their position on the billboard ordinance. 

Residents supported the existing ordinance regardless of their level of pride in or image of Durham. 

Even those undecided about either supported the existing ordinance.

Support for the existing ordinance was consistent across gender with males and females, 72.4 percent and 71.4 percent, in favor respectively.

Blacks supported the existing ordinance 11-to1, whites by 10-to-1, Asians by 4-to-1, and Hispanics by 5.5-to-1.

The poll was taken in August after several months of discussion about a possible proposal to change the ordinance to permit moving some billboards and upgrading them to digital.