Planning commission approves digital billboard near Golden Valley K–8 after public objections

The Mohave County Planning and Zoning Commission voted to approve a special-use permit for an off-site digital billboard in the Golden Valley area after a contested public hearing that drew parents and school leaders.

Craig Sites, a resident who spoke at the hearing, told commissioners the billboard sits "less than 300 feet from a school K through 8," and asked the commission to deny the permit to "protect children and preserve community character." He said billboards in the area "commonly promote marijuana dispensaries" and showed commissioners photos he said supported that claim.

Ryan Arts, head of school at Golden Valley Christian Academy, said about 100 students and 100 cars pass the stretch in front of the school each school day. "With it being a digital billboard, they can put anything up there," Arts said, and urged the commission not to approve the permit without assurances about content.

Danielle Olickek, representing the school's parent-teacher fellowship, said parents who carpool worry about children seeing messages such as the one she reported seeing on a nearby billboard: "free weed every day." She said she had emailed the applicant but received no response before the meeting.

County staff and the commission clarified the county's regulatory limits. County planning staff told the commission they do not generally regulate billboard content, noting that content regulation is constrained by free-speech considerations and that the county can restrict only vulgar or pornographic material. Chairman Hassett also summarized that the county "has no authority to restrict what goes on billboards" except in limited circumstances.

An applicant representative told the commission the company typically does not advertise alcohol, marijuana, or pornographic material at its locations and that they advertise primarily for small- to mid-sized businesses. The representative said they had not received written correspondence from local residents before the meeting, though multiple residents said they had attempted contact.

During deliberations, a motion to deny the special-use permit was made and failed. A subsequent motion to approve the permit passed. The commission did not record detailed roll-call votes in the transcript; commissioners stated approval and indicated the motion "carries." Commissioner Ruge explicitly stated approval during the voting sequence.

The public record for the hearing included parent and school leader statements urging stricter separation distances between billboards and schools and concerns about digital content exposure to children. County staff pointed to existing zoning provisions that set separation requirements from residential zones and certain historic or park boundaries but noted there is no county separation requirement specific to schools or churches.

Next steps: the commission's approval forwards the recommendation to the Mohave County Board of Supervisors, which reviews commission recommendations on rezones and special-use permits per the county process. The transcript does not record any additional conditions set by the commission regarding content or separation distances.