Friday, January 07, 2000
County vows to fight billboards
Issue will be taken to appeals court
BY KEVIN ALDRIDGE
The Cincinnati Enquirer
LEBANON — Deerfield Township residents challenged Warren County Commissioners Thursday to block a sign company's plans to erect huge billboards along Montgomery Road.
About 25 residents packed commissioners' chambers to voice their concerns about American Outdoor Advertising's intent to construct a 672- square-foot billboard near two upscale housing developments on Montgomery Road. Many said the billboard would detract from property values and aesthetics.
“This would be very bad for us if this sign is allowed to go up,” said Bernerd McEvoy, 72. Mr. McEvoy, an eight-year resident, said the billboard would be just 50 feet from his home in the Heritage Green subdivision, just off Montgomery Road.
“We would be able to see that thing from out of our kitchen window, our living room window and our bedroom window,” Mr. McEvoy added. "This would make a lot of people's property values go way, way down.”
A little more than a year ago, county commissioners denied American Outdoor's initial request for the billboard because of its size and its proximity to residential housing.
The company appealed the commissioners' decision in Warren County Common Pleas Court and won. Common Pleas Judge Neal Bronson ruled on Dec. 17 that the commissioners' denial of the billboard was without legal authority and ordered commissioners to revisit the issue.
County Commission on Thursday reaffirmed its commitment to township residents and officials to fight the billboard company by announcing it will appeal the judge's decision.
“We are going to fight this thing,” said Commission President Larry Crisenbery. “Hopefully we can win it.”
Deerfield Township Trustee Larry Backus said overturning Judge Bronson's decision is critical.
“Nobody down here wants Montgomery Road to become another Fields Ertel Drive,” Mr. Backus said. “"We want to stop this urban blight from coming across the border.”
Township leaders have plans to develop a Town Center on Montgomery Road that would feature luxury apartments/townhouses, restaurants and shopping, a new administration and safety center, road improvements and park development. Mr. Backus said if these huge billboards are allowed to come in, that would destroy the township's whole concept for the area.
“We're not saying that this company can't have billboards in the township,” Mr. Backus said. “We're just saying that we should have a reasonable ability to regulate those signs in both size and location.”
Mr. Backus said trustees have proposed seven other sites along Interstate 71 for the billboard that would provide better visibility, but American Outdoor has rejected those.
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