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Board denies Lawton-Bronson Elementary request for digital sign to hang into county right-of-way
Summary
Secondary Roads staff recommended denying a variance that would let a school digital sign overhang county right-of-way; supervisors cited safety, liability and precedent concerns and voted 5-0 to deny the request.
The Woodbury County Board of Supervisors voted to deny a permit request from Lawton-Bronson Elementary to install a digital sign that would overhang into the county right-of-way.
County engineer Laura Severs recommended denial, citing safety, liability and the county’s interest in keeping right-of-way clear for visibility and maintenance. Severs said the sign would overhang about three feet and noted digital signs can distract drivers and pose liability for snow-removal and similar operations. She suggested the school could place the sign in an alternate location or execute a liability agreement, but cautioned the county should not accept ongoing liability for objects in the right-of-way.
Supervisors noted the county has not allowed similar variances routinely and referenced precedent concerns; one member said a liability letter is a nice gesture but could be legally contested. After discussion, a motion to deny the variance carried unanimously, recorded as five-zero.
The school may pursue alternate locations or reapply if it proposes mitigations that meet county right-of-way standards.
