Electronic billboards win OK in Gwinnett County

Devices allowed only where existing billboards stand.

Electronic billboards will now be allowed in unincorporated Gwinnett County, but only where existing billboards now stand.

County commissioners Tuesday approved a change to the sign ordinance that would permit electronic billboards, if an owner removed three static — or traditional, unmoving — billboards. No new traditional billboards will be allowed.

“It’s a win-win situation for the community,” said Carole Hord, an attorney representing billboard company Outfront Media. “It’s going to be great for the county.”

Gwinnett has 157 billboard poles in its unincorporated area, though some poles have more than one sign. Under the new rules, three signs must come down for an electronic billboard to go up. Developers can “bank” signs if they take down more; new signs can only be erected where an old one stood.

Areas where billboards are already prohibited, like Ronald Reagan Parkway, will remain billboard free. Existing traditional billboards will be able to stay up until they are removed or replaced.

The county said the benefit is aesthetic, and that a reduction in the total number of billboards will enhance traffic safety. The change will allow for more efficient use of the billboard space, Hord said, by allowing more ads in a location.

Electronic billboards can also be used for Amber Alerts or other emergency messages.

Gwinnett County planning director Bryan Lack- ey said he had been working on the new ordinance, which was modeled after Cobb County’s, since late last year.

The county does not limit how many ads a billboard can cycle through, but requires that messages on electronic billboards are displayed for at least 10 seconds at a time.

The proposal also regulates how bright the signs can be and ensures that no two electronic signs will be located within 5,000 feet of one another.

Some electronic billboards are already permitted in Gwinnett’s cities.