Digital billboard must come down on The Murfreesboro Post

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By: By ERIN EDGEMON-June 27, 2007- 5 PM

An appeal on the revocation of a sign permit for a digital billboard sign installed by Lamar Advertising in March was denied by the Murfreesboro Board of Zoning Appeals Wednesday.

“This is a sign that is not permitted in the (city sign) ordinance and so forth it is prohibited,” said board member John Rodgers before the board voted unanimously to deny Lamar’s appeal.

He said the sign located on Old Fort Parkway near the freestanding Starbucks Coffee House was not built according to the plans submitted to the city of Murfreesboro.

The digital sign displays approximately 16 different advertisements that change every 10 seconds.

Murfreesboro’s sign ordinance, which was undated earlier this year, prohibits commercial and non-commercial flashing and electronic message center signs.

According to city building officials, Lamar Advertising submitted a sign permit application indicating it was going to reinstall an indirectly illuminated 10-foot, 6-inch-by-36-foot billboard, and that the billboard would not contain any moving devices. The construction cost would not exceed $24,000.

Construction on the sign began Feb. 21, 2007 and was completed March 13. The city stated Lamar Advertising was notified verbally that it was in violation of the sign ordinance on March 13 and was mailed a letter on March 27.

Lamar Advertising originally requested the sign permit to rebuild its billboard sign in May 2004, but it wasn’t issued until October 2004. That permit and another subsequent permit expired before the final permit was issued in November 2006.

Knoxville Attorney Lawrence Leibowitz, who represented Lamar, said the sign is lawful. He said the use of the sign was established before the city placed a moratorium on electronic signs in January 2007.

Lamar’s attorney also indicated that state law allowed for the sign to be updated and grandfathered in under a preexisting sign ordinance.

Board chair Bill Nelms and other board members weren’t sure if the city’s definition of flashing or electronic message center signs in the sign ordinance pertain to the Lamar sign in question.

“I am not sure if this ordinance deals with this technology that we have in this sign,” Nelms said. Technology has sped past this sign ordinance. The technology and the sign industry is moving faster than the Murfresboro City Council has been able to move to keep up with it.”

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Member Opinions:

By: DMW37128 on 6/27/07
So exactly what has been achieved and accomplished by banning such sign? I have read of no accidents contributed to the sign since its erection.
Where does the City go with Mr. John Q. Hammons Embassy Suite, The Conference Center, and the New Chamber office - will the law change to allow them to have digital message signs?

By: Onthehill on 6/27/07
I agree...I think the sign is kinda neat myself...seems to me they could think of something better to argue over than a sign...wow what a job they have....

By: Hello-out-there on 6/27/07
After just returning from vacation to various larger cities in the near area I saw many of these types of signs in all differing areas of development. Larger areas to more rural types all they all looked great compared to the nearby "regular" types. Not once did I notice any persons seeming distracted. Drove by the very sign in question today and find it to be one if not the most appealing in the area. The powers that be continue to yell PROGRESS at the top of their lungs but yet progress in this area is forbidden. Are our priorities in order?

By: Lawdog0023 on 6/27/07
Amnesty for our illegal sign !!

By: bigpop on 6/27/07
they will change the ordinance for Mr. Hammonds, It's all about the money with the City. creating a better quality of life for themselves, how grand it is.

By: Stingray on 6/28/07
What sign? Traveling down Old Fort Park, who can see the sign when their full attention is on driving the maze our city planners created.

By: nobody on 6/28/07
bigpop, it's all about creating dollars for the new development on Medical Center Parkway. I say leave it up, it looks great.

By: mb42 on 6/29/07
Stingray--Amen! I don't know what they were thinking when they designed the roadways around there! The sign looks great-and modern for a growing city. If they want to enforce a law, look to the 21 and Up Store on Broad Street.

By: GrumpaEd on 6/29/07
At the turn of the century, 19th to 20th that is, could you see this current council and boards (zoning) discussing the automobile, whether to allow its entry into the city? The streets are to narrow, horses and people alike will be frightened, we will look more and more like Chicago, Detroit or god forbid - New York.

VOTE TO BAN THE AUTOMOBILE - keep our carriges with horses, not horseless!

By: justdance on 6/29/07
I love the new sign. Leave it up for cryin' out loud and move on to something else worth fighting for!!

By: ronrintn on 7/1/07
The city council needs to stop the madness!! They are wasting out tax money and their time on fighting such ridiculous causes. That sign is the best looking sign in the city and has no reason to be banned. Maybe it is not what they expected but that is most likely because they did not understand the technology going into the sign.
It would be best to ask the people of Murfreesboro what they want for the city instead of barging ahead with the planning departments one sided vision.

By: THIRTEEN on 7/10/07
Wait till you see the signs they will approve for "BIBLE LAND" and "THE AVENUE"

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