Roswell leads push against billboard bill

Communities urge Deal to veto legislation allowing tree removal.

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By Joel Anderson

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Roswell, leading the fight against the state billboard industry and its push for tree clear-cutting, has gained supporters in the cities of Sandy Springs and Columbus and in Athens-Clarke County.

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Johnny Crawford, jcrawford@ajc.com

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The north Fulton city has marshaled a bloc of opposition after formally requesting that Gov. Nathan Deal veto a bill that would enable billboard owners to remove state-owned trees fronting their signs to improve motorist viewing.

Since Roswell council members unanimously approved the resolution March 30, the three other municipalities over the past week have followed with similar measures.

“It’s a bad bill for the state of Georgia,” said Gabriel Sterling, Sandy Springs council member. “We hope that it makes a difference. I’d be more than happy to let [other municipalities] borrow the language of the resolution we put out there.”

A spokesman for Deal said the governor would not comment on the bill until he has a chance to review it and make a decision.

House Bill 179 passed in late February after years of previous defeats. Billboard industry lobbyists argue that clear-cutting trees will help promote business in Georgia and provide jobs. Bill opponents are skeptical of the jobs claim and urge more consideration for the environment and state’s tree-lined landscapes.

“We have always taken the position that trees are much nicer than billboards,” said Roswell Mayor Jere Wood, a longtime billboard opponent who created the resolution. “That’s an easy one for most of us; if you’re not receiving money from the lobbyists.”

The resolution claims the bill “is deemed to have an adverse impact for the citizens of Roswell.”

In Sandy Springs’ version, the city said the bill “prohibits any beautification projects that include the planting of trees in the right of way that may in the future obscure billboards.”

Columbus Mayor Teresa Tomlinson’s letter to Deal cautioned that “the billboard industry should not have priority over community interests in our public rights of way.”

Conner Poe, Outdoor Advertising Association of Georgia executive director, disputed those claims. He said the bill would not take control away from local governments and touted the move as an economic engine for the state.

“Places that have extra tough billboard ordinances right now can continue to have tough billboard ordinances,” Poe said. “Nothing in the bill shall conflict with local control.”

Amy Henderson, Georgia Municipal Association spokeswoman, predicted the long-running fight will return to the courts if Deal approves the bill. Municipalities and billboard owners already are trying to determine whether the state bill would take precedence over local laws.

“[Cities] don’t want to lose their authority to regulate signs within their jurisdiction,” said Henderson, noting that GMA is neutral on this issue. “That is a concern we’ve heard, that maybe the state could strengthen the language in the bill and make it more clear.”