Concerns raised over some Broken Arrow billboards

Monday, August 16th 2004, 5:10 pm

By: News On 6

Some Broken Arrow residents are not thrilled about new neighbors in their neighborhood. The "neighbors" aren't people, but billboards that have been put up on the corner of 101st and 145th East Avenue.

News on 6 reporter Patrina Adger says you typically see billboard advertisements along highways, but not in your own backyard. Well, not literally, but some residents say they can see the signs from their backyards.

They say they're not only annoying but they're ugly. Broken Arrow resident Chad Chapman: â€œAs soon as they went up I noticed them because they were so big. I expected the signs to be where the highway is."

Residents who live and work near 101st and 145th East Avenue say they are upset about these billboards. They say the corner is already cluttered with boarded up buildings and empty lots and having not one but two billboards just adds to the eyesores in this area.

Another Broken Arrow resident Joan Newton: "Especially having two of 'em. It's not like you can't see one from either direction. I think it's too cluttering I thin one would have been enough. Two is overkill."

Rick Clary who owns Clary Outdoor Advertising says he chose to lease this spot because he figured a lot of people would see the signs and want to advertise and they have. But he says with the good publicity he's received a few angry calls from folks wanting him to move the signs.

But Broken Arrow City Inspector Allen Stanton says the billboards fall within the law. "The permit applications were submitted and under the ordinance that was in place when they were submitted they were approved."

According to Broken Arrow's sign regulations, no permanent sign can be within 50 feet of any residentially zoned district and exceed 500 square feet. And while there are two signs on one lot, they are legal because the signs are on two different streets.

Allen Stanton tells the News on 6 there is a moratorium in place to look at the law regarding putting up billboard signs near residential neighborhoods in the future. The moratorium won't affect these signs, but no one at least, for now can put up a sign anywhere in Broken Arrow until the moratorium is lifted.