Evening star., 1930-12-17
ARLINGTON COUNTY
FOR. SIGN CLEANUP
Survey Shows Conditions
There Not as Serious as in
Other Nearby Areas.

In Arlington County, Va, while sufil-
ciently aggravating within close prox-
Unity of Washington, discloses that
roadside conditions are not as serious
on the whcle as those existing in many
other jurisdictions in the vicinity OF
the National Capital.
The regulation of the location of
signboards is entirely in the hands of
the Board of County Supervisors, which
body, in cooperation with the State
Highway Commission is doing effective
work in Kidding communities OF many
illegal signs Either Of their own ac-
cord or through pressure brought to
bear by the various civic organizations
of the county. the board has shown a
decided reluctance recently to issue per-
r1its for billboar6s of any kind.
Arlington Countys large number of
civic bodies are solidly opposed to the
spoilation of roadside landscape by clut-
tering the roads with commercial signs
and other forms of nuisances, and all
Of them have so expressed themselves to
the Board of County Supervisors.
County Curbs Practice.
Until last year these boards were
erected without regard to location, the
only authority needed being the pernis-
sion of the owners of the property on
which the signs were located. The gov
erning body of the county, however,
brought this practice to a stop by re-
curing that a separate permit for each
sign be obtained from the Board of Su-
pervisors.
Since the adoption of this ordinance
there has been a decided drop in the
erection of new signs and in the renew
ing of those already in existence, as the
ordinance provides that permits also
must be obtained for renewals.
But before this ordinance was made
effective, the billboard people rushed
into Arlington County as they have
done in numerous other instances
and succeeded in obtaining desirable
locations. This accounts in part for the
number of signs erected on the beautiful
stretch of Langley road depicted re-
Gently in The Star, showing where trees
had been cut down for the establish
ment of large billboards along the
roadside to Chain Bridge.
At the present time the greater num-
Der of the billboards in existence in
the county are located along the tourist
travelled Lee Highway and along the
Washington n-Alexandria pike. On the
former highway, which averages about
% billboards to a mile, most Of the
largest signs are placed against hill
sides with result that the view of the
foliage directly behind them is obscured.
Alexandria Uses Signs.
The Washington Alexandria pike
perhaps presents the worst situation in
the county. Billboards advertising the
advantages of Alexandria are among
the array on both sides of the hign-
way. But large number of these sign
boards are erected so as to shut from
the view of the public the large dumps
that are being used to I'LL in the swamps
that border the road in several places.
UnSightly filling stations and numerous
shacks make this greatly used approach
TO the National Capital one Of the most
untidy around Washington.
The difficulties of enacting Satisfac-
tory legislation in the General Assembly
OF the State were clearly demonstrated
at the last session of that body when a
bill that would have curbed greatly the
erection of billboards along the rights
OF way Of State highways was defeated
after long and somewhat bitter fight
This bill, in addition to eliminating
advertising signs at points where they
would eruanger the lives of motorists.
also had as its purpose the sufficient
removal of all signs to a point where
they would not greatly interfere with
the view. This represented the liberal
view of many State officials and civic
organizations.
Ulterior Purpose Shown.
When introduced, the measure was
attacked Immediately by Norfolk dele
gate who is connected with billboard
companies in his home city and con-
tinually Hobbies against reluglatory
legislation during the session of the
Assembly. Through his and other ef-
forts the distance from the State right
of way was reduced TO IS feet and the
measure finally defeated because of a
provision that would have required
property owners themselves to remove
any illegally erected signs. The latter
provision, it was thought, might work a
hardship on owners who lived dis
lance from their property.
Only one bill affecting the signboard
situation passed at the last session Of
the assembly This abolished all
boards from State road intersections
and the intersections of State highways
with railroads, where the signs would
obstruct a clear view for motorists.
There were at the past session OF
the General Assembly number of dele
gates who are engaged in the practice
of law and who in this capacity are
employed by signboard companies. This
makes drastic legislation difficult, a
fact that was clearly demonstrated In
Arlington County several sessions ago
when the civic organizations sought the
passage of regulatory bill only TO find
that their delegate was the local coun-
sci of some of the larger billboard
companies.