[Durham INC] Please remind County Commissioners to support Durham's billboard ordinance

[John Schelp]

folks,

With the County Commissioners set to vote on September 13, please email the board a gentle reminder to "support Durham's current billboard ordinance..." 

One email gets to all Commissioners: commissioners at durhamcountync.gov

The billboard industry is dragging this out, hoping we'll get tired and stop caring. Please send a short and cordial email. It's important. Thank you.

Below is some more background and a list of community groups supporting Durham's current ordinance.

with best wishes,

John
http://supportdurhambillboardban.com

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Background & community support

Any so-called "compromise" that allows big bright billboards of any sort in any location, blinking 10,000 advertisements a day, would open the door to legal challenges. 

If the billboard industry’s proposed changes are approved, we open a "can of worms" and risk a raft of very expensive lawsuits. The City attorney's office said that revising the ordinance could lead the City and County into "a legal minefield" when others demand the same special treatment for their signs (Herald-Sun editorial).

When industry introduced its measure, officials told them to go out into the community and develop an ordinance that has community support. They had two years to do this -- and they failed.

Instead, industry tried everything they could to circumvent the community.

Here is a list of community and neighborhood groups supporting Durham's current billboard ban...

* Burch Avenue

* Colonial Village

* Duke Park

* Lakewood Park

* Long Meadow

* Morehead Hill

* New East Durham

* Northgate Park

* Old Farm

* Old North Durham

* Old West Durham

* Trinity Heights

* Trinity Park

* Tuscaloosa-Lakewood

* Uplift East Durham

* Walltown

* Watts-Hospital Hillandale

* West End

* InterNeighborhood Council

* Durham Planning Commission

* Environmental Affairs Board

* Durham People's Alliance

* City-County Planning Department

* New Hope Creek Corridor Advisory Committee

* Eno River Association

* Durham City Council

So far, officials have received more than 1000 emails supporting Durham's current billboard ordinance (and only eight emails pushing electronic billboards).

"Implementing the [billboard industry's] request would provide little economic benefit to Durham and require significant resources that the City and County lack."
--Planning Dept (April 2010)

More info... http://supportdurhambillboardban.com

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