[Durham INC] Pls send email asking officials not to tinker with successful sign ordinance (by March 3)

[John Schelp]

folks,

Anyone calling for a compromise is really saying, "let's gut Durham's sign ordinance and allow big, bright digital billboards blinking 10,000 ads 24/7."

Kindly send a short, positive email asking officials to "please not start tinkering with our successful sign ordinance."

Send your email (by March 3) to: Council at DurhamNC.Gov, commissioners at durhamcountync.gov, DurhamPlanningCommission at durhamnc.gov


The billboard industry is desperately trying to overturn Durham's successful billboard ban. They have few supporters in the community. 

* We need to reject the tired argument that the new billboards will be better looking (than the billboards the industry has allowed to deteriorate). Not everyone thinks a big, bright electronic billboard, above the tree tops on tall metal mono-poles, blinking more than 10,000 ads/day, is "better looking."

* Durham's sign ordinance is working. Fact. We have many fewer billboards than 20 years ago. If we open the door to electronic billboards, we're never going to close it.

* If we allow electronic billboards, and local officials ever wanted to remove an e-billboard for any reason, Durham taxpayers would have to compensate billboard companies for ALL FUTURE LOST REVENUES. For a digital billboard, flashing more than 10,000 ads/day, that's a lot of money taxpayers would have to send to a company in another state. One certainly hopes no local official would take such an irresponsible risk with taxpayer money. 

* Anything that distracts a driver's eyes from the road for more than two seconds significantly increases the chances of a wreck. Electronic billboards are designed to attract drivers' attention and are an intrinsic safety hazard. Do we really want drivers on our increasingly congested thoroughfares intentionally distracted by attention-grabbing electronic billboards?

* We already have electronic Silver Alert signs on our highways in North Carolina. They're placed in a driver's line of vision -- right above the travel lanes.

Durham City and County's Reverse 911 now gives us a great tool to get the word out in an emergency -- in a much more comprehensive manner.

The billboard industry is apparently arguing that drivers should look at three, five, maybe even seven ads -- way off to the side of the highway -- before a Silver Alert might appear on billboard screen.

Talk about a distraction. Are we really going to ask drivers to move their eyes off the cars in front of them -- to wait through several ads to see a Silver Alert? 

We need to make our roads safer -- not create driver distractions by placing electronic billboards flashing ads, brighter than daylight, next to the highway.

* The few billboard supporters out there are suddenly saying we need more time to talk. We've talked this to death. Remember, the billboard industry said they were going to submit their measure (3rd version) back in May 2009.

* There are plenty of compelling reasons not to overturn Durham's ordinance (Planner: Proceed with caution on billboard issue, Durham News, 2/07/09)...

-Fairway's billboards now produce about $2,600 in county tax revenue; switching some to digital "would still not generate significant revenue"

-Local government cannot require the signs to carry public-service messages

-Digital billboards could be found to violate the federal Highway Beautification Act

-Allowing digital billboards while safety studies are pending could expose Durham to liability for accidents

-Full sunlight reaches about 6,500 "nits;" a digital billboard can reach 10,000 nits.

* There is no public need for billboards and there is no compelling reason to treat this industry better than we treat any other citizen who could make more money if he could get special treatment under the zoning ordinances.

--> Kindly send a short, positive email asking officials to please not start tinkering with our successful sign ordinance.

Send your email (by March 3) to: Council at DurhamNC.Gov, commissioners at durhamcountync.gov, DurhamPlanningCommission at durhamnc.gov

Thank you. It's important.

~John

More information, letters of support & videos... http://supportdurhambillboardban.com