Select Board hears proposal to allow limited digital billboards on highway corridors with public-benefit agreements

Representatives from Outfront/Alfa Media and planning staff presented a proposed amendment to the town's sign bylaw to allow off-premise digital billboards at tightly constrained highway locations by special permit and development agreement.

Presenters said state and federal rules already constrain siting (for example, minimum distances from ramps, parks, and other signs), and that the proposed local bylaw would add a further layer of municipal oversight: digital signs would be allowed only on commercial or industrial parcels directly abutting I-90 or I-495, restricted to a maximum display area and height (proposed 680 sq ft and 75 ft) and a 1,000-ft spacing requirement from other digital faces.

Outfront emphasized that host agreements could secure ongoing public benefits'annual mitigation payments, community-message hours (emergency notifications, AMBER alerts), and restrictions on certain advertising categories. They said the model typically includes a negotiated mitigation fee and community messaging time and that a single high-quality location is the likeliest outcome because of state spacing rules.

Board members and residents pressed for details: how revised ramp and interchange geometry (I-495 improvements) might affect conformity, whether the proposed bylaw is more or less restrictive than prior versions that failed at town meeting, how lighting and flip-time standards would prevent driver distraction, and how the town would evaluate the exact locations and community benefits before permitting. Planning staff scheduled a public hearing before the planning board; residents were encouraged to submit comments to the planning office before that hearing.

Provenance: Digital billboard bylaw presentation and Q&A (SEG 2986'314).