Council, planner differ on rezoning for billboard

The Burlington City Council brushed aside the repeated concerns of the city's chief planner and approved a conditional rezoning that paves the way for another digital billboard along the interstate. The council's unanimous vote on Tuesday came after Planning Di-rector Bob Harkrader said such rezonings could set a precedent, one that might lead to a proliferation of billboards along the city's stretch of Interstate 85/40. Some residents say the corridor already has too many signs. According to a survey by city planners, 84 billboards at 53 loca-tions are scattered along the eight miles of interstate between Maple Avenue and N.C. 61. ¡§If conditional zoning is interpreted as a way to allow for billboards, this number would most certainly increase,¡¨ stated a document Harkrader dis-tributed to the council Monday. Current city ordinances allow double-sided billboards on the interstate no closer together than 500 feet, provided the property is zoned general business, light indus-trial or heavy industrial. The two industrial designations also allow for billboards in other parts of the city, provided there is a 200-foot separation between signs, unless there is an intersecting public right-of-way of at least 40 feet. With such a right of way, signs can stand at all four corners of the intersection. Signs erected before city zoning and ordinance changes enacted in 1971 don't have to adhere to the separation requirements. SDL Properties owns 5.5 acres east of Maple Avenue that are adjacent to the northbound lanes of the interstate. The investment group needed Tuesday¡¦s conditional rezoning from the council so it could put a digital advertising sign on the property's northeastern corner. A ravine on the landlocked property won¡¦t allow for other types of devel-opment, said Charles Bateman, the attorney representing SDL. As part of the rezoning, SDL deeded most of the land to the adjacent United Pentecostal Church. Despite Tuesday¡¦s vote, objec-tions to the proposal have been in place for 3 1/2 months. In April, Bateman brought the request before the city Planning and Zoning Commission, which recommended it to the council by a 3-2 vote. The city council first considered the request in May. The council tabled the request to Monday¡¦s work session. The move came after Councilman David Huffman said signs could proliferate on the inter-state if the city failed to have an overall sign plan. The Rev. Kenny Godair, United Pentecostal¡¦s pastor, said in May that he favored SDL's request. On Tuesday, other church leaders echoed Godair¡¦s affirmation. Harkrader also renewed his ob-jections from the April and May meetings and questioned the wisdom of creating a policy to allow rezonings for the sole purpose of allowing signs. Huffman¡¦s concerns held on Monday but evaporated Tuesday when Bateman said SDL wouldn't build more than a single billboard on the property. The SDL request helped clarify the issue for the council, Harkrader said Thursday. The context of it is probably a little bit different from other properties that might be considered. ¡§There are a number of other prop-erties where it might not be appro-priate. I believe that the council understands that.¡¨ Businesses need to advertise along the interstate; whether there are too many is a matter of personal opinion and a question for the council to decide, Harkrader said. We are fairly well-saturated with billboards,¨ Harkrader said. There is not a whole lot of room for addition signage in the interstate corridor.¡¨


Source : Burlinton Times News by Robert Boye