Augusta billboard company Azalea Outdoor is pushing back against a permit denial for signage near the railroad track in Evans.
On July 22, the signage company, a subsidiary of real estate investment firm Azalea Investments, submitted to the Columbia County Planning Department a preliminary billboard application for a sign permit at the CSX right of way southeast of the intersection of Club Car Drive and Washington Road.
The outdoor advertiser planned to install a billboard sign, 378 square feet and at least 30 feet high, at the crossing. The planning department denied the application a week later.
On Aug. 2, attorney Adam Webb sent a letter to the department on behalf of Azalea Outdoors president Chris Withers seeking to appeal the denial.
“An appeal should not be necessary in this matter,” said Webb in the letter. “Not only is it on a major rail line but it abuts industrial property and a major roadway. There is no better place for a billboard.”
Webb’s and Withers’ contention is concerned with zoning. The Columbia County ordinances restrict the placement of billboards to properties zoned general or heavy commercial (C-2 and C-3), or light or general industrial (M-1 and M-2).
The CSX property, however, has no zoning.
Planning staff argued in its report on the appeal that that Azalea’s proposed billboard would not be qualified. Citing another section of the ordinance regarding signs, the staff noted that zoning district boundaries would not apply to a railroad right of way.
“The requested billboard is not permitted under the zoning ordinance since CSX’s right of way property fails to meet the zoning district requirements,” said the staff report.
Webb, however, claimed that the restriction, ordinance Section 90-135, is invalid under federal law.
“If the County would like to prevent billboards in such areas in the future, we would have no objection and would even assist in the drafting of such regulations,” said Webb. “But this application should be granted without the hassle and expense of an appeal or litigation.”
The appeal, which would not be a public hearing, was scheduled for September, but Webb requested it be tabled to the Planning Commission’s Oct. 20 meeting.
Azalea Outdoor is owned by the Morris family, of Morris Communications. In December 2021, it acquired the BeStill billboard company from Withers, who stayed on as president.
Skyler Q. Andrews is a staff reporter covering business for The Augusta Press. Reach him at skyler@theaugustapress.com.
