Debate continues over digital billboards
The future of digital billboards along Sussex County roadways remains on hold. At its March 20 meeting, county council deferred on a decision to amend county code to allow off-premise digital billboards.
One councilman said allowing the billboards would open the door to many more signs while another said it might close that door and reduce the number of future billboards.
Councilman George Cole, R-Ocean View, said the county does not need anymore billboards of any type. “I'm concerned with how the county is starting to look. We already have on-premise digital signs and they [off-premise billboards] could end up everywhere. Is this what we want our county to look like – a little Vegas?” Cole asked. “We have too many billboards; we allow too many variances.”
Cole said if the majority of council supported the ordinance, he would at least like to see digital billboards restricted to the county's four-lane highways – routes 1, 113 and 13.
Councilman Vance Phillips, R-Laurel, had a different slant on the issue. “I contend this would limit billboards because there could be eight, 10 to 15 different images on the same billboard during a 24-hour period. This would be a way to start limiting billboards.”
He also accused Cole of misrepresenting what digital billboards are. “They don't blink and they are not flashing; they change the image every 8 to 10 seconds,” Phillips said.
Adding road restrictions of four-lane highways to the proposed ordinance is a major change that would require an additional ordinance, said Lawrence Lank, director of planning and zoning.
“We should vote on this one and come back with another ordinance,” Phillips said.
Councilwoman Joan Deaver said she was concerned about possible distractions the billboards could cause. She also asked what agency would be responsible for enforcing regulations.
“The state has jurisdiction of off-premise signs,” Lank answered.
Council is debating an ordinance to allow electronic or digital billboards as a special-use exception. New billboards on commercial property would still require approval from the board of adjustment. In addition, approval would be required for an electronic billboard. Existing billboards could be converted to electronic billboards with approval of a special-use exception from the board of adjustment. The process would include an advertised public hearing.
The debate over digital billboards is one taking place across the country. Some states and cities, including Vermont, Maine, Montana, Colorado, San Francisco, Austin, Texas, St. Louis and Durham, N.C., have banned them while others have placed moratoriums on their use pending the outcome of a study by the Federal Highway Administration to see if digital billboards are distracting to drivers.
In 2007, the Federal Highway Administration relaxed a rule against digital billboards, claiming they didn't violate the Highway Beautification Act, which bans intermittent, flashing or moving lights.
All about signs and billboards
Digital billboards: Digital billboards are electronic image displays that present a series of static advertisements on a rotating basis. The billboards use hundreds of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to create an image. A small computer attached to the digital billboard provides the advertising images to the display screen. Advertising agencies can update the advertisements on these billboards remotely, by using the wireless cellular phone network to access the billboard computer. Digital billboards display advertisements for 6 to 10 seconds, with as many as eight businesses sharing one billboard.
On-premise signs: A sign, static or digital, at a business or small group of businesses usually attached to a building, set on poles or in a display area near a building. The maximum size of an on-premise sign in Sussex County is 200 square feet. The state does not regulate on-premise signs.
Off-premise signs: Also called billboards, the signs are larger than on-premise signs and located along roadways with traffic. The maximum size of an off-premise sign in the county is 600 square feet. Digital or electronic billboards are not currently permitted in the county. The county and state have regulations pertaining to off-premise signs.
All signs in the county must be placed on commercial parcels adhering to special setbacks and distance regulations. A county sign permit can be issued only after an applicant has received a special-use exception from the county's board of adjustment; in the past, the board has usually granted these exceptions. A permit is also required from the Delaware Department of Transportation for on-premise and off-premise signs.
