New digital billboards are officially
banned in Knox County.
The commission on Monday
approved the second reading of an ordinance that prevents companies
from converting traditional – or “static” - billboards to
digital form. Existing ones can stay under a grandfather clause.
Officials have yet to reach a decision
on what to do about traditional billboards. Some don't want any new
ones, and other board members feel they've done enough.
The commission is expected to talk more
about the issue in the next month or so.
In the meantime, the county won't issue
new permits for traditional billboards, since legislation to ban them
is still pending.
“It seemed that the vast majority of
the people who contacted the commission were not in favor of digital
billboards and were in favor of the ban,” commission Chairman Tony
Norman said. “There were a lot of people at the meetings, a lot of
emails and there was a continuous stream of people coming up to us.”
The second reading was approved in a
7-4 vote, with commissioners Jeff Ownby, Brad Anders, R. Larry Smith
and Dave Wright dissenting.
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