Planners deny request to convert North Expressway billboard to full digital; commission asks staff to review sign ordinance

Spalding County planners on Jan. 12 denied an application to convert an existing billboard at 2004 North Expressway to a fully digital face, concluding the conversion conflicted with the North Expressway Improvement District's lighting and aesthetic standards.

Staff told commissioners the sign sits inside the North Expressway Improvement District and that the district’s lighting standards and intent would be at odds with a large, typical full‑digital billboard. Staff recommended denial based on potential brightness, flashing and driver‑distraction concerns.

Rick Lindsey spoke for the applicant (Mitchell Perkins) and said conversions to LED could be limited by condition — preventing animation, limiting brightness and controlling transition intervals — and might reduce the need for additional billboard locations. Lindsey asked the commission to consider the applicant’s request or, alternatively, give the county time to update the sign code.

Commissioners denied the variance for the North Expressway site. Separately, commissioners heard related billboard petitions and accepted a request from the applicant to withdraw other pending billboard applications and directed staff to draft a review and update of the county sign ordinance (dated in the packet to 06/16/1997) to address digital signs, brightness, animation and cycle limits. Commissioners noted that overlay districts (such as North Expressway and Tri‑County overlays) should remain protective of lighting and appearance.

Outcome and next steps: The denial will be conveyed to the applicant; the commission asked staff to prepare possible ordinance changes to present at a future meeting so the county can handle LED billboard requests consistently rather than on an ad‑hoc basis.