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El Paso County planning commission recommends approval for electronic billboard conversion at 8655 W. Highway 24
Summary
The Planning Commission voted 6-0 to recommend approval of Lamar Advertising's special-use request to convert an existing two-sided static billboard at 8655 West Highway 24 into an electronic message display and to relocate it on site; final approval goes to the Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 11.
The El Paso County Planning Commission voted 6-0 on Aug. 21 to recommend approval of a special-use request from Lamar Advertising to convert an existing two-sided billboard at 8655 West Highway 24 in Cascade to an electronic message display (EMD) and to relocate the sign on the same parcel.
Planning staff said the property is zoned CC (community commercial) and is along a restricted corridor, so any electronic conversion requires Board of County Commissioners approval following the commission's recommendation. Miranda Benson, planning staff presenter, described a plan to reduce the billboard height from 46.6 feet to 40 feet, expand each face from 238 to 378 square feet using an available billboard credit, and relocate the sign to the southeast corner of the parcel to meet setbacks.
Joseph Sandstrom of Public Works said the project qualified for traffic-impact exemptions and required no public improvements. Applicant Justin Johnston for Lamar Advertising told the commission the sign would be programmable to dim at night, would cap nighttime luminance at 500 nits, and would not display video, animation or flashing. He said emergency messaging (Amber Alerts, public-safety notices) and more ad-sharing capacity for smaller businesses were benefits of conversion.
Opponents raised safety and visual-character concerns. Larry Barrett of Scenic Colorado cited studies and public-opinion data he said show public resistance to billboards and argued EMDs increase driver distraction and degrade scenic corridors. Commissioners pressed the applicant on traffic-safety research; Johnston cited Federal Highway Administration and several municipal studies and a photometric analysis prepared for the project showing full compliance with CDOT and county standards in typical conditions.
Commissioners concluded the proposal met the land development code's special-use criteria, including lighting standards (the applicant requested alternative lighting design but provided a photometric study) and compatibility with existing commercial zoning. The commission recorded a unanimous recommendation that the item move to the Board of County Commissioners on Sept. 11 for a final decision.
Votes at the Planning Commission: Miss Britton Jack — yes; Miss Fuller — yes; Mister Marais — yes; Mister Schutzplatz — yes; Mister Whitney — yes; Chair Tim Trowbridge — yes (6–0).
The Board of County Commissioners will make the final decision on Sept. 11.
