Letter to the editor

Posted

From those of us who found ourselves fighting the digital billboard sign ordinance, we want to send out a huge thank you to those of you who provided us with overwhelming support and encouragement.

Back in November, St. Johns County proposed to alter our county’s Land Development Code to allow for digital billboards. The commissioners passed the torch to the Planning and Zoning board in February, where the digital billboards section was shot down by a 5-1 vote. The commissioners were to make their final vote during the April 4 meeting, but the billboard company withdrew their proposal.

Our county has been spared from a supposed “pilot” program, which would have, in fact, erected permanent digital billboards on the most dangerous highway corridor in the United States. Our research exposed the national and international data, which demonstrates the inherent downsides and dangers of digital billboards. Our beautiful county is held to a higher standard, and we stood together and tall to protect what is ours. 

Our county did not want digital billboards 20 years ago. Our county does not want them today. And our county will not want them in any tomorrows. 

We would like to thank all of our supporters. Our support base is strong and far reaching from: our southern scenic highways, to the Shores of St. Augustine, to the northeast corners of Ponte Vedra and the western Wm Bartram Scenic & Historic Highways. Partnered with the support of South Anastasia Communities, Ponte Vedra MSD, Scenic Florida and Scenic Jacksonville, the Sierra Club, the Palm Valley Community Association, the St. Johns County Civic Roundtable, homeowners associations, civic groups and the news outlets, we were able to educate and garner the support from all corners of our county and beyond.

While the billboard industry claims that digital billboards are the wave the future, we know banning them as the true wave of the future.

Lisa Cook, Mary Kohnke and the anti-digital billboard crew