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Roberts earlier post about where to vacation got me thinking about a Vermont law that disallows billboards throughout the whole state. I personally like this law, even though i'm in the sign business. I'm in NJ about 2 hours from the Poconos and i have to tell you that the natural beauty of the Poconos is really compromised by a plethora of really ugly billboards. I love signs (my wife always makes fun of me because when we go on vacation i'm always taking pictures of signs) but i wonder if we should restrict the use of billboards / large signs in scenic areas?
-------------------- Steve Racz Racz's Handcarved Signs Posts: 1078 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2004
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i think it is a good idea to restrict billboards. You should see the HUGE displays they have near the casinos. And not just one or two. They have 15 in a row. In several places all placed in a mild curve where they block out huge areas of sky. The perspective blocks out miles of sky. At night the lighting glare makes it a hazard to drive.
They started out with the standard sizes. But now they are so far out that its outragious.
-------------------- Leaper of Tall buildings.. If you find my posts divisive or otherwise snarky please ignore them. If you do not know how then PM me about it and I will demonstrate. Posts: 5274 | From: Im a nowhere man | Registered: Jul 2001
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I think it's a good idea to restrict billboards in certain areas.
There are no billboards in the immediate area around my town, nor along the highways in and out of town. I don't really know if billboards are actually restricted here or if it's the rocky, solid granite mountainous terrain that keeps anyone from putting up billboards, but it sure is beautiful around here with the purple/red mountains against a deep blue sky with the aqua blue river and lake lined with palm trees.
My town is unique in that it's built on the foothills of a mountain range, every house has a view, and any time a new house goes up the city council actually reviews the plans to make sure the elevation of the slab and roofline will not interfere with the immediate neighbor's view. Seems when the town was founded, one of the first laws in the books was that no development shall impede the view of another property, in order to maintain the beauty for all to see.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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Wow - your town sounds like a beautiful place Mike. Betty and I are heading to Phoenix (actually Surprise AZ) in April to visit her sister who just relocated there. I would invite myself to see your shop but you look a little far away...
-------------------- Steve Racz Racz's Handcarved Signs Posts: 1078 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2004
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A buddy of mine just moved to Michigan from Phoenix, and mentioned your area in particular as far as "scenery" goes. I guess the beaches are awesome! No billboards is just another benefit. LOL
Michigan has legislated billboard limitations here. Not a bad plan, However, a tastful billboard, well designed I'm ok with. The big billboard producer in this area is absolutely the worst designer I have ever seen. RED VINYL EVERYWHERE. Nasty helvetica arched font....EEEEWWWW. Now,THAT should be outlawed!
""Good judgment comes from experience; and a lot of that comes from bad judgment" - Will Rogers Posts: 3488 | From: Beautiful Newaygo, Michigan | Registered: Mar 2003
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I live along the Vermont border and done signs that will hang there. My first encounter with the state's sign laws came a few years ago when doing a sign for a small business in Fairlee, VT.
Because of the way the local and state ordinances were written, the sign I produced for hanging along Route 5 had to be moved to the front of the building. The sign could not be viewable from the nearby interstate by law.
This past December, a new business along that same stretch of road asked me to design additional signage to be mounted along the sides of existing ones. When I questioned the customer about the local ordinances, he admitted that they would violate the codes by being too close to the center line of the road. Despite trying to explain that I would prefer to do the work within the guidelines, he simply wanted them the way he wanted them....period.
I told him to call someone else to do the job. Rapid
-------------------- Ray Rheaume Rapidfire Design 543 Brushwood Road North Haverhill, NH 03774 rapidfiredesign@hotmail.com 603-787-6803
I like my paint shaken, not stirred. Posts: 5648 | From: North Haverhill, New Hampshire | Registered: Apr 2003
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Thanks Rapid! I heartily appaud your decision!! Vermont is such a special place with its natural beauty. There are some things in life more important than signs... (not many but some... ) I hope we can preserve Vermont and places like it for future generations because once they are gone, they're gone forever. One sort of unrelated observation. The small town where i live has recently published a book, mostly of old pictures of the town. As I was looking at the pictures i realized how much more beautiful things were in the 40's and 50's. For example, they had a picture of a soda fountain at the local drug store with a beautiful wood counter, wood shelves behind the fountain, etc. One of the churches was shown from 3 different eras and each time it got more sterile looking. Oh well, at least we have places like letterville where craftsmanship is still practiced, appreciated and honored!
-------------------- Steve Racz Racz's Handcarved Signs Posts: 1078 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2004
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Well, I think where I live is pretty beautiful. I had a friend visit from St Louis last fall and she thought it's still a bit dry for her tastes. It does take a certain kind of person to find beauty in rocks.
I've been meaning to take my camera on morning walks because at sunrise the way the sun falls on the mountains is beautiful - the lit-up rock faces and crisply defined shadows really shows the definition in the terrain.
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Beautiful place Mike! It's funny but the older i get the more i appreciate things like rocks. They have a certain permanence (at least by human standards). Thanks for the great pics!
-------------------- Steve Racz Racz's Handcarved Signs Posts: 1078 | From: New Jersey | Registered: Jan 2004
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I don't agree with totally banning billboards. When I'm traveling I want to see that billboard on the interstate that tells me I'm only 35 miles from the next Comfort Inn.
I'd be ok with size, quantity restrictions, etc.
I hate the ones that have neon or flashing lights on them. Saw a few of these on my last late night journey & the blinking lights on an otherwise dark, almost empty highway wrecked havoc on my eyes.
-------------------- Chris Welker Wildfire Signs Indiana, Pa Posts: 4254 | From: Indiana, PA | Registered: Mar 2001
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I believe that Vermont at one time also had some runes that signs must only be done in black and white.
I have gone to Vermont many times on vacation and noted that almost all the signs I saw were in black and white colors.
Vermont is a state that does not really like to change very much and is one of the few places in this country that fought for years to try and keep out big chain stores like Walmart.
Walmart did get in but it took years for them to jump through many hoops before it happened.
I understand why Vermont is doing what they are doing when you look at bill boards in other states they really do not look very nice and when you see one after another going down many road for miles it really gets kind of crazy.
I live in Florida and they are now trying to get many of the existing bill boards either removed or made much smaller in size which is a good thing.
Jimmy Hill
-------------------- Jim Hill Nostalgic Racing Decals Inc. 637 Sedgewick Way Palm Harbor, Florida. 34683 jimbo1734683@yahoo.com Posts: 22 | From: Palm Harbor, Florida | Registered: Jan 2004
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Boulder, Nevada (a small town close to the Boulder "Hoover" Dam) has some size restrictions on signage which improve the landscape a bit. They don't allow "oversized" or tall signs. Example: Everyone is familiar with McDonald's signs.. sky-high and huge.. it's been a while since I've driven through Boulder but I kinda remember the McD's sign being maybe... 8ft tall or so.
On the flipside, on the highway between Boulder and Vegas (a half hour drive through empty desert) there's an Indian casino in the middle of nowhere - a huge place.. with a gi-normous billboard in the median of the highway that is just one big marquee display - more like a Jumbo-tron at a sports stadium, only bigger. Driving by that place at night, like Kissy says, just drives you batty.
Like kissy says, some billboards might be OK but out here in the desert, there aren't many, not even along the highway between LA and Phoenix. There's a few but there's just not many businesses along the way that neccessitate them, and the businesses that are out there don't need them because everyone is going to drive by eventually anyway. There just aren't many choices available nor roads to divert the traffic away. You can count on there being a gas station with either a built-in Subway or Burger King, at each exit.. but you're already out in the sticks and the exits don't really go anywhere.
-------------------- "If I share all my wisdom I won't have any left for myself."
Mike Pipes stickerpimp.com Lake Havasu, AZ mike@stickerpimp.com Posts: 8746 | From: Lake Havasu, AZ USA | Registered: Jun 2000
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Graphics heretic that I am, I'm against billboards along rural Interstates, and maybe some Federal-Aid Primaries. Lady Byrd Johnson had the right idea with the Highway Beautification Act. As you can see, it is not fait accompli 4 decades later.
This is because there are exceptions to the law. These exceptions are determined by money, of course.
For instance,billboards must be beyond a certain distance from an Interstate. That means bigger, more expensive boards farther away. Some states allow corporate logos on little state signs near interchanges. There's only so much space on those little signs, so if too many hogs come to the trough, there won't be enough slop. That would be unfair, so the Act would have to permit more exceptions. And there's no end to it.
The billboard hustlers like to say they provide "information" to motorists. So what is "information?" Another very long story. For those who want to know where they are and where they're going, the states provide free roadmaps. For those who will not read maps and tourguides, there is TV... back home, not in the car.
-------------------- Bruce Williams Lexington KY Posts: 945 | From: Lexington, KY, USA | Registered: Mar 1999
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Now that cars are coming with computer screens in the dashboard and voices. The use of RF ID or GPS technology will render billboards obsolete. You will get custom ads in your car as you drive.
It's just a matter of time.
ernie
-------------------- Ernie Balch Balch Signs 1045 Raymond Rd Malta, NY 518-885-9899 Posts: 405 | From: Malta, NY | Registered: Jan 2003
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