By DOUG NURSE The Atlanta Journal-Constitution Published on: 09/01/07
John Steele of Milton revels in the scenic vistas of the newly created city, the sprawling horse farms, the stately homes, and the stacked-stone shops along Windward Parkway.
Nowhere is his line-of-sight spoiled by billboards — and he wants to keep it that way.
"The whole premise of the city was to keep it as rural as possible," said Steele, a development manager and a 17-year resident of Milton. "Billboards are so ugly. There's no place for them in Milton. I don't want to look at them."
The city of Milton and its sister city of Johns Creek are embroiled in court battles with Covenant Media, which wants to put four billboards in Milton along Ga. 9, and 14 billboards throughout Johns Creek. Milton has no billboards; Johns Creek has one.
Both cases are in Fulton Superior Court, being heard by different judges. Decisions could come before the end of the year.
Johns Creek residents jealously guard the upscale architectural and landscaping standards established by Technology Park/Johns Creek years ago.
"Billboards wouldn't be in keeping with the community," said Gary Tipps, a retired electric company executive and Johns Creek resident. "We're trying to keep Johns Creek from looking like other areas that have billboard after billboard. I drive to Florida once a month, and I hate the drive because of the billboards."
Johns Creek Mayor Mike Bodker said the feedback he's gotten from the public is uniformly against giant signs in the air.
"I think that view is representative of Milton's and Johns Creek's citizens," Bodker said. "There is a sentiment in Johns Creek that billboards are not consistent with the character of the community. We don't have interstates or major roads. It would seem out of place."
Adam Webb, attorney for Covenant Media, said outdoor advertising fills a valuable niche.
"People don't value appropriately the usefulness of outdoor advertising," Webb said. "It is the only medium that is cost effective and targeted for certain kinds of advertising. You can advertise to the entire metro area on the radio, but if you're a small restaurant in Johns Creek, you want to catch the eyeballs of people driving on your street so they stop in."
Last December, when both cities became legal entities, the city councils adopted Fulton County ordinances but imposed a freeze on zoning applications, including signs, to give them time to draw up their own ordinances. Within days, Covenant Media was knocking on the door with applications for billboards.
Johns Creek refused to take the applications. Milton took them. Covenant Media sued them both, saying the freeze unduly restricted its First Amendment rights.
"The billboard companies are trying to take advantage of loopholes in the new cities' ordinances during the transition time," Milton City Attorney Mark Scott said at the time.
The suits also claim that when the cities adopted Fulton County's ordinances, they embraced its sign ordinance. That ordinance had been declared unconstitutional by a superior court, which was later upheld by the state Supreme Court. That would mean the cities' sign ordinances at the time were unconstitutional as well.
The cities are arguing that Covenant should have applied with Fulton County at the time because the cities hadn't accepted planning and zoning responsibilities from the county.
The outcome of one may influence the outcome of the other, Scott said.
"If a judge issues an order, it could persuade the other judge," Scott said. "The cases are identical."
Glenn Barber, a 56-year-old accountant and Milton resident, hopes the courts don't allow the company to erect billboards in town.
"I think it would detract from the beauty of the community," Barber said. "I think when people voted for the city, that's what they wanted to preserve. We don't want to be downtown Atlanta. That's why people moved out here."
Nowhere is his line-of-sight spoiled by billboards — and he wants to keep it that way.
"The whole premise of the city was to keep it as rural as possible," said Steele, a development manager and a 17-year resident of Milton. "Billboards are so ugly. There's no place for them in Milton. I don't want to look at them."
The city of Milton and its sister city of Johns Creek are embroiled in court battles with Covenant Media, which wants to put four billboards in Milton along Ga. 9, and 14 billboards throughout Johns Creek. Milton has no billboards; Johns Creek has one.
Both cases are in Fulton Superior Court, being heard by different judges. Decisions could come before the end of the year.
Johns Creek residents jealously guard the upscale architectural and landscaping standards established by Technology Park/Johns Creek years ago.
"Billboards wouldn't be in keeping with the community," said Gary Tipps, a retired electric company executive and Johns Creek resident. "We're trying to keep Johns Creek from looking like other areas that have billboard after billboard. I drive to Florida once a month, and I hate the drive because of the billboards."
Johns Creek Mayor Mike Bodker said the feedback he's gotten from the public is uniformly against giant signs in the air.
"I think that view is representative of Milton's and Johns Creek's citizens," Bodker said. "There is a sentiment in Johns Creek that billboards are not consistent with the character of the community. We don't have interstates or major roads. It would seem out of place."
Adam Webb, attorney for Covenant Media, said outdoor advertising fills a valuable niche.
"People don't value appropriately the usefulness of outdoor advertising," Webb said. "It is the only medium that is cost effective and targeted for certain kinds of advertising. You can advertise to the entire metro area on the radio, but if you're a small restaurant in Johns Creek, you want to catch the eyeballs of people driving on your street so they stop in."
Last December, when both cities became legal entities, the city councils adopted Fulton County ordinances but imposed a freeze on zoning applications, including signs, to give them time to draw up their own ordinances. Within days, Covenant Media was knocking on the door with applications for billboards.
Johns Creek refused to take the applications. Milton took them. Covenant Media sued them both, saying the freeze unduly restricted its First Amendment rights.
"The billboard companies are trying to take advantage of loopholes in the new cities' ordinances during the transition time," Milton City Attorney Mark Scott said at the time.
The suits also claim that when the cities adopted Fulton County's ordinances, they embraced its sign ordinance. That ordinance had been declared unconstitutional by a superior court, which was later upheld by the state Supreme Court. That would mean the cities' sign ordinances at the time were unconstitutional as well.
The cities are arguing that Covenant should have applied with Fulton County at the time because the cities hadn't accepted planning and zoning responsibilities from the county.
The outcome of one may influence the outcome of the other, Scott said.
"If a judge issues an order, it could persuade the other judge," Scott said. "The cases are identical."
Glenn Barber, a 56-year-old accountant and Milton resident, hopes the courts don't allow the company to erect billboards in town.
"I think it would detract from the beauty of the community," Barber said. "I think when people voted for the city, that's what they wanted to preserve. We don't want to be downtown Atlanta. That's why people moved out here."
