The owners of the billboards sued in state and federal court. Attorneys argued the state case to the North Carolina Court of Appeals in January, but there s been no ruling. Amortization is the death penalty. Buncombe County has more than 250 permitted, off-premise signs. Of that number, about 140 are billboards including more than 55 billboards along interstates.
Some commissioners say it s time the county took that step.
Commissioner David Young said he supports the move to take down billboards, but he s not sure what the amortization period should be. But Graves said banning new signs and forcing companies to take down some existing signs would hurt businesses that advertise using billboards. Myron Laible, vice president of regulatory affairs for the Outdoor Advertising Association of America in Washington D.C., said over 75 percent of billboard advertising is focused on small businesses. Hiram S. Cody, who is involved with the Coalition for Scenic Beauty in Asheville and Buncombe County, doesn t buy that argument. Buncombe County commissioners meet Tuesday at 4 p.m. in the commission meeting room on the second floor of the courthouse.