$500,000: Estimated cost of digital billboard to help promote local events in Springfield.
3%: Accommodations tax on hotel, motel and bed and breakfast stays in Clark County, which will help fund the new digital billboard.
60,000: Approximate number of motorists who would pass the digital billboard per day.
A $500,000 double-sided digital billboard to advertise local tourism events and venues is planned along Interstate 70 near Ohio 41 at the Prime Ohio II industrial park.
The 14 x 48 double-sided sign, which will be located right before Exit 59, will be paid for by the Clark County Convention Facilities Authority through the countywide accommodations tax, which collects 3 percent from all hotel, motel and bed and breakfast stays within the county. According to the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce website, the accommodations tax generates approximately $300,000 per year.
Mike McDorman, the Chamber’s president who also serves as treasurer-secretary of the CFA, called the billboard “a groundbreaking opportunity” for a community of this size.
“A community our size often falls under the radar when it comes to tourism, the arts, recreational opportunities and when choosing a place to live within the region,” McDorman said. “We have a great story to tell, but unfortunately there are too few opportunities for us to get noticed.”
The sign will be a similar size to those seen in other metropolitan areas, including Dayton and Columbus.
McDorman said the billboard already has been approved by the Ohio Department of Transportation because its being used for public and non-profit advertising. Otherwise, billboards must be 660 feet from the highway according to the 1965 Highway Beautification Act. The billboards can display 7-8 messages per minute on the board, and won’t be used to sell private advertising. The CFA will also partner with ODOT to help display emergency messaging on the billboard.
“Our plans at this point are simply to put events and venues messaging up there to sell the brand of Springfield,” McDorman said.
Before the billboard can be built, the CFA will seek several variances to the city’s sign code. They’ll ask the city’s Board of Zoning Appeals for variances in size, height, daytime illumination standards and sign operational standards at tonight’s meeting at City Hall Forum, 76 E. High St. at 7 p.m.
Bryan Heck, the city’s planning and zoning administrator, said the city’s staff members are recommending approval of the sign to be up to 80-feet tall, 672-square feet per side and a maximum brightness of 675,000 Nits.
“The staff feels the unique location of the billboard will allow for these variances not to have a detrimental effect to the community,” Heck said.
The city’s code for billboards says they can be no larger than 144-square feet or 72-square feet per side, a maximum height of 35-feet, during daylight hours capped at 1,000 Nits. Heck said staff believes the sign won’t hinder motorists or residents on Ridge Road near the interstate.
“When we developed our code for the billboard, I don’t think we really looked at the potential for a billboard to be a dynamic digital display,” Heck said. “We’d prefer the signs to be taller because then the detection distance is longer for that driver, so they’re not driving at 35 feet and seeing it and causing a hindrance to motorists.”
Heck said the difference between this and billboards in bigger areas is that it will be used for public purposes.
“They’re using it for a public purpose to advertise mostly non-profit events happening inside the city limits,” Heck said.
The CFA will begin accepting requests for proposals if the sign is approved at tonight’s BZA meeting.
McDorman believes the billboard will also help spur growth in the surrounding areas, including Prime Ohio I, Prime Ohio II and the Clark County Fairgrounds, which recently announced it would expand.
“It’s an interchange that’s poised for huge growth,” McDorman said.
McDorman believes the billboard will encourage people to come play, invest and live in Springfield.
“It’s great to finally have a chance to tell our story to 60,000 cars per day,” McDorman said.
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