[Durham INC] Stick with the status quo and that's what you have to live with

[M. W. Shiflett - Hotmail]

I don't believe I've ever said that I have taken a unanimous decision 'for 
electronic billboards'.   What I've posted were what some (including myself) 
feel are positives.

There are also many negatives.

The ordinance, as it currently stands, chains us to the possibility of many 
of the same blighted old billboards in and around our neighborhoods, 
churches, recreational areas and schools to remain (quite possibly for 
decades more) in place.

I've attempted to get people to find a way to remove them by mitigating the 
negatives, that so many neighborhood groups and associations seen as reasons 
to support the status quo.

Over the past several months there's been discussions (mostly against them). 
All I have said is that there are some advantages to them that have been 
left out of those postings.  The Times article mentions a few of them, 
however.

All I have advocated for is a balanced debate.

For this, I have received many emails.  Some friendly and understanding, 
others accusatory and degrading.

I don't appreciate having words substituted for what I posted.

I have not mislead people in this effort.  I only asked them to consider 
each side of the issue.

As someone not running for office,  I have not been lobbied or paid/received 
ANYTHING from the billboard industry or any of their employees.  I certainly 
didn't appreciate the innuendo that I had.

But I have seen how many non-profits and neighborhood volunteer groups have 
struggled thru financially tough times recently.   I had hoped that there 
was a compromise that could be worked out the might benefit them and, as an 
added benefit, bring attention to some of the more interesting 
happenings/events in Durham to those 'just driving thru'.

Some have seen that there was a good argument for Public Announcements using 
electronic billboards as emergency alert mechanisms, but not as many who see 
these as added distractions.   I understand this but don't agree that Amber 
and Silver Alerts can't be improved upon.

It'd been helpful if someone could have incorporated these into the mix, 
besides me along the way.

Finally, I appreciate the ground swell of support for keeping things the way 
they are.   I was just hoping that we could get more out of it.


mike

"It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a 
question without debating it."
--Jeseph Joubert




----- Original Message ----- 
From: "John Schelp" <bwatu at yahoo.com>
To: <inc-list at DurhamINC.org>
Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 2010 5:40 PM
Subject: [Durham INC] List of neighborhoods supporting Durham's 
successfulbillboard ban; Last chance to send email...


> folks,
>
> Several neighborhood and community associations support Durham's current 
> ban on billboards. Support is strong across all segments of the community.
>
> (See list of supporting neighborhoods below; along with DCVB poll 
> results.)
>
> Happily, other neighborhood boards are meeting to vote to join in support 
> of the current billboard ban. Please let us know if we need to add your 
> neighborhood group to the list.
>
> More than 175 emails of support have been sent to officials over the past 
> four days! (One has come in for electronic billboards.) Many many thanks 
> to one and all.
>
> If you haven't already, kindly send a short, positive note asking 
> officials: "please do not tinker with our successful sign ordinance."
>
> Send email tonight/early tomorrow to Council at DurhamNC.Gov, 
> commissioners at durhamcountync.gov, DurhamPlanningCommission at durhamnc.gov
>
> with much appreciation,
> John
>
> ****
>
> Working list of supporting neighborhoods
>
> * Burch Avenue
>
> * Duke Park
>
> * Lakewood Park
>
> * Long Meadow
>
> * Morehead Hill
>
> * New East Durham
>
> * Northgate Park
>
> * Old Farm
>
> * Old West Durham
>
> * Trinity Heights
>
> * Trinity Park
>
> * Tuscaloosa-Lakewood
>
> * Uplift East Durham
>
> * Walltown
>
> * Watts-Hospital Hillandale
>
> * West End
>
> * InterNeighborhood Council
>
> ****
>
> 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.
>
> ****
>
>
>
> _______________________________________________
> Durham INC Mailing List
> list at durham-inc.org
> http://www.durham-inc.org/list.html
>