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Commissioners set public hearing for proposed billboard consolidation rules after mixed reaction from residents
Summary
County staff and sign‑company representatives described a proposal to consolidate multiple nonconforming billboards into fewer, larger signs (max ~672 sq ft per face, up to 50 ft height). Commissioners authorized a public hearing and asked staff to hold local informational sessions before the hearing.
The Board of Carroll County Commissioners voted Feb. 5 to schedule a public hearing on a proposed zoning text amendment that would allow owners of multiple nonconforming off‑premise signs to consolidate them into a single, larger panel in specified circumstances.
Under the proposal presented by planning staff and the Planning Commission, multiple existing nonconforming billboards located on the same or adjacent parcels could be consolidated into one new sign. The new single‑panel sign would be limited to no more than the combined square footage of the consolidated signs and would be capped at 672 square feet per side (1,344 square feet total for a double‑faced sign). The draft amendment also proposes a maximum height of 50 feet from roadway grade for consolidated signs; existing nonconforming signs in the county average about 28.5 feet in height and 308 square feet in area per face, the staff review said.
Representatives for sign owners said consolidation would reduce the number of physical structures, improve maintenance and vandalism prevention, and optionally allow digital conversion only in commercial or industrial zoning districts. Planning staff emphasized that the amendment would be voluntary, require property‑owner consent, and still require any necessary state Highway Administration permits for signs along state roads.
Several residents raised concerns about scale, night lighting, and visual impacts in communities such as Finksburg. Commissioners directed staff to schedule a public hearing and to hold an informational session targeted to heavily affected neighborhoods before the formal hearing. The board recorded the motion to set a public hearing and the motion carried.
Next steps: staff will schedule the public hearing and outreach, receive public comments, and return any recommended text for formal council action after public hearings and Planning Commission input.
