In a regularly scheduled board meeting of the Durham Convention & Visitors Bureau, a resolution was passed in support of asking Governor Beverly Perdue to halt the temporary rules related to Senate Bill 183 that were enacted by the state’s Department of Transportation. While fully recognizing that many tourism sector businesses in North Carolina utilize billboards, the DCVB also weighed the impact this would have on Durham’s appearance and unique sense of place.
Wib Gulley, Chair of DCVBs Board of Directors commented, “This is not a simple issue, and it is not that one side is for billboards and the other side is against them. But there are a lot of people who value their community’s appearance, see it as a key asset, and believe that the passage of these rules will hurt people and businesses whose jobs depend on the state’s scenic beauty.” Durham passed billboard ordinances in 1984 which banned any new billboards from being erected and relegated existing billboards to a nonconforming use status. In 2010 both the City and County of Durham separately and independently upheld the existing ordinances.
Passage of SB183 and the temporary rules enacted will effectively preempt local vegetation protection ordinances like these which were put in place to protect the viewshed, screen traffic noise from adjoining neighborhoods and protect motorists from dust and other pollutants from industrial sites.
See also:
Group Challenges New Billboard Rules in Court
Natural Scenic Beauty?
Durham Residents Support Billboard Ordinance
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