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eb/billdown.pr 01-44pr
Contact: Esther Bowring, 240-777-6530
Clifford L. Royalty, 240-777-6739
For Immediate Release: February 2, 2001
COUNTY REMOVES ILLEGAL BILLBOARDS
"We are delighted to finally remove these eyesores from our community," said County Executive Douglas M. Duncan, who took part in the sign removal effort. "For more than 20 years, we have been trying to get billboard owners to comply with the law and stop fighting us in the courts."
In October 2000, the U.S. Supreme Court decided not to review a January 2000 decision by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit, upholding the lower court ruling that the billboards be removed. The companies have not complied with repeated County requests to remove the billboards affected by the decision. One billboard structure is located at the corner of Fenton St., Burlington Ave., and Philadelphia Ave. The other two billboard structures are located on the roof of the Gallery Building at 11272 Georgia Ave.
"Billboards are eyesores," said County Councilmember Derick Berlage. "I will not stop fighting until every last billboard that blights our downtowns, neighborhood centers and roadsides is removed from our sight."
Another company, Eller Media (formerly known as Revere National Corporation) owns approximately 33 additional billboards in the County. Eller is appealing a March 2000 Montgomery County Circuit Court ruling upholding the County's authority to ban billboards and denying claims for damages. The Court ruled that Eller was not entitled to compensation for removing the billboards because the company has earned sufficient revenue over the years to more than recoup its investment.
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