Where are Durham's billboards? Find them on the Indy's map
by Lisa SorgArticle Tools
What do Bojangles', the U.S. Marines, and the Dixie Gun and Knife Show have in common? Their respective messages of chicken, honor and the Second Amendment are emblazoned on many of Durham County's billboards.
The Indy drove all over hell's half-acre to conduct its own billboard survey, and found roughly 110. (We're checking for duplicates; the map will be updated over the next week.) Afterward, we could not resist an overwhelming desire to eat chicken wings, salute the flag and pop off a few rounds at the gun range.
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Prompted by the recent controversy over proposed changes to Durham's billboard ordinance, this morning the city-county planning department staff briefed the Joint City County Planning Committee on the number and locations of these ads on stilts. Download the PowerPoint presentation (2.9 MB).
According to N.C. Department of Transportation data and city and county researchers, there are 107 billboards in the county—89 permitted and 18 that are not. Located along interstates and other highways that receive federal funding (a few are on city streets that intersect with larger roads), these billboards are legally protected under the Federal Highway Beautification Act.
Fairway Outdoor Advertising, which owns 45 permitted billboards in Durham, is planning to submit a proposal to city and county elected officials that would change the city/county billboard ordinance. These amendments could propose allowing electronic billboards and/or permitting additional billboards to be installed.
Chapel Hill prohibits all billboards. Cary, Morrisville and Raleigh do not allow electronic billboards; Raleigh has tough policies on locating traditional billboards, generally restricting them to industrial areas.
We'll post more info and links over the next week about the billboard issue.
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If Fairway ever gets digital billboards, they could add unintentional humor to their towering, tacky products. We'll be able to watch the ad for The Durham Crisis Center change into one for Dockside Dolls in seconds! The Organ Donor ad can morph into one for McDonalds; Durham Rescue Mission's ad can be followed by "Money Now." Fairway is obviously running charity ads on its billboards to curry favor in an upcoming vote that would cripple Durham's billboard protections. I am not surprised at Fairway's strategy but I'm amazed that anyone in Durham is buying it. Steve Bocckino
It is upsetting when I read list-serve notions that Durham would be better served if there were no billboards. Only in Durham do people hate billboards! In our current economy, how can anyone with common sense ever suggest eliminating jobs? Billboards foster jobs through the business they represnt. (those would be local businesses)The Durham community needs to keep in mind that all of the benefits that Fairway is proposing cost taxpayers absolutely nothing and increase Durham's tax base. And what do we get? A free Amber and Silver alert system, better looking billboards and more than a million dollars in free advertising space for non-profits and community messages. By the way Fairway is not adding any new billboards, they are only updating the ones they have. Under the law as it is now they can not even update their own billboards without aproval first. How ludicrous is that? So people who do not like the billboards the way they are now, you will like them better after Fairway fixes them up and makes them fit into the 21st century! Wake-up and smell the commerce billboards bring into Durham and even if you think they do not effect you, think again!
Remember when the asphalt industry came into town and told us how they were going to create all these jobs? Turns out that claim wasn't true. This whole billboard business reminds me of that. Take a look at where the billboards are in Durham today. You can see them along 147, towering over homes in East Durham (right near where the asphalt industry wanted to stick its asphalt plants). Something else to consider... Since billboard companies employ very few people (mostly managers and sales personnel), their business is very lucrative. The revenue from standard billboards is $1-2,000 per month (Inc. magazine). A digital billboard would earn about $14,000 per month. Digital billboards offer the added benefit of not having to employ people to change the images on the signs. Jobs? What jobs? Fairway's offices are in Georgia and Raleigh. Their impact on Durham's economy is negligible. Also, billboards are taxed as personal property at their value in materials -- not based upon their income capitalization. As a result, they pay very little in taxes to Durham. According to the Planning Department, Fairway paid just $2,605.60 in taxes last year to Durham County. Just $2600. A whole bunch of single family residences in Durham pay a lot more than that. Readers can learn more at http://scenic.org/billboards/background
The folks opposing this upgrade have launched a misleading campaign against the admendment. Fairway is only requesting permission to upgrade their billboards not additional billboards. I FAVOR the upgrades to current billboards. I find the lights on the current billboards to be more distracting. I have actually been blinded by one while traveling West on I85 into Burlington, NC. The electronic ones I have seen are less distracting and very attractive.
On a recent trip through Charlotte, I was horrified when I saw these hideous flashing billboards. These are ugly, dangerous and they dwarf the scenery around them. Please let our political leaders know that you do NOT want these in Durham. Let's stand united with our neighbors in Raleigh, Cary and Chapel Hill and say NO to electronic billboards.
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