Durham Residents Fight Effort to Allow Digital Billboards

Durham, NC has had a strong billboard law for over 25 years, but now neighborhood groups are leading the effort to fight off an attack by Big Billboard to allow existing "grandfathered" billboards that do not meet current standards to nevertheless be upgraded to digital technology and possibly even moved to new locations. A CVB poll of Durham residents last summer found residents favored keeping the existing law by a margin of 9 to 1. The Durham News reports that city leaders also are reluctant to weaken the effective billboard law that has enhanced Durham's attractiveness.