ABINGDON, Va. – Despite a countywide ban on billboards, three more of the signs are being constructed this week on Lee Highway, and four others may be under construction soon.
Because the billboards received zoning approval before the ban, they can still be built – but county officials say they’re getting phone calls from residents about the new signs.
"Those folks are concerned because they thought the ordinance would stop the billboards," said Zoning Official Cathie Freeman. "But the zoning compliance permits that were issued before that [ordinance passage] were eligible to be erected."
The Washington County Board of Supervisors voted 6-1 at its April 8 meeting to ban billboards, effective Jan. 23 of this year.
Seven zoning applications filed after Jan. 22 – one by Lamar Advertising Co. and six by a West Virginia-based company – were declined, county officials said.
That left nine billboards with zoning approval that had not yet been built.
Hey! Outdoor Billboards Inc. is putting up three this week on Lee Highway – one near Abingdon Equipment and two at Car Mart near Interstate 81’s Exit 7.
James Burke, foreman for Vice Steel Erectors, was working with two other men on the signs this week when he said Washington County, Va., isn’t the only place where billboards have faced opposition.
"Nobody likes sign guys," Burke said. "I guess they think of them [billboards] as eyesores, just messing up the scenery-type stuff."
He said while the banning of billboards isn’t widespread, it has happened in other places as well.
Hey! owner Bill Roop said he is moving two sign faces from a billboard near I-81’s Exit 13 to one of the new signs, for a net gain of four billboard sign faces on Lee Highway. He said at this point, the signs will not be digital.
In total, Roop has received zoning approval for signs at 23 locations. Including those going up this week, he has constructed 21.
He said he has no plans to construct the other two – one near I-81’s Exit 10 and one on Old Jonesboro Road – though Freeman said they will remain eligible for building permits until 2010.
Lamar has four zoning approvals and one building permit approval so far. The company’s general manager in Blountville, Tenn., did not return calls seeking comment on when the four signs would be constructed.
According to the sign-ban ordinance, pre-existing, nonconforming signs must be completed by Jan. 22, 2010, to be allowed.
According to application records, a building permit is in effect for a Lamar sign near U.S. Highway 11 and Old Dominion Road – also near Car Mart.
Building permits have not yet been obtained by Lamar for two billboards on Highway 11 near Woodstone Circle and one at the junction of U.S. Highways 11 and 58.
Last fall, county staff noted the unusual volume of billboard applications and brought it to the attention of the board of supervisors.
The same applications had been denied by the Town of Abingdon, but after a heated discussion at an October meeting, the supervisors allowed them to be considered under the existing county ordinance.
More applications were filed before the board voted Jan. 22 to delay approval of any further applications pending review of the county’s sign ordinance.
Residents spoke at the meetings against billboards, but by the time the banning ordinance was passed on April 8, a total of 27 applications had already been approved, mostly along Lee Highway, between Abingdon and Bristol.
dmccown@bristolnews.com | (276) 791-0701
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