Tuesday, June 26, 2007

TxDOT says S.P.I.D. electronic billboard must go

Sep 15, 2006 06:02 PM EDT

CORPUS CHRISTI - It's one of three local billboards from Lamar Advertising, which the Texas Department of Public Safety said don't meet federal standards, and it will either have to come down or be turned off.
The electronic billboard in question is located on S.P.I.D. between Weber and Everhart, near the Time-Warner building. TxDOT also said the company's two tri-fold billboards on S.P.I.D. and the Crosstown Expressway are also in violation.
TxDOT said the boards are distracting to drivers. Anyone who has driven on S.P.I.D. lately can see that it is hard to miss the latest technology in advertising. The 48-foot display changes advertisers every eight seconds.
It's on the cutting edge of advertising, and TxDOT said it has to go.
"These signs are illegal so the state has to follow federal law, and they are illegal signs," Cliff Bost of TxDOT said. "They need to be removed."
TxDOT officials said that that sign, along with two tri-fold advertisements, violate the Federal Highway Beautification Act and are distracting to drivers.
"If you've got a lot of flashing or movement going on, that does typically catch people's eyes, and while you're driving, you need to focus on the roadway.," Bost said.
Officials with Lamar Advertising said the signs do not violate the law, and they add, the city approved the permits and TxDOT should not step in. In a letter to City Manager Skip Noe, one of Lamar's attorneys said, "because of the city's certified status, this permit is accepted in lieu of a permit issued by the Texas Department of Transportation."
The letter goes on to say, "The city's size, lighting and spacing requirements for outdoor advertising signs may be more or less restrictive than the criteria applicable to non-certified cities."
TxDOT officials said the difference between the billboard and other electronic advertising down the street at Appliance Mart is a question of who owns the property.
"As long as the billboard is on your property, advertising your business, then it's okay," Bost said.
Lamar has a billboards like the one in question in places like Victoria, and there's no opposition to it. City officials said they are awaiting clarification of the law, but for now, the signs stay on.

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