From Atlanta- How to annoy the neighbors.
Could it be a sign from God?
An Episcopal church in Cobb County wants to install an electronic sign to replace an old-style sign that a car destroyed two years ago. It has had to keep the high-tech shift on hold, though, because county rules prohibit electronic signs in residential areas.
Now, a ray of light may shine down on the church after all. Cobb County commissioners are considering a change to the county code that would allow electronic signs for some churches, private schools and others in residential areas.
But some Cobb residents see the proposed changes as a bad sign. They say more LED panels and digital screens mean that flashy, moving messages could invade quiet residential streets. On busier roads, electronic messages can be a dangerous distraction to motorists, residents say.
Craig Dowdy, a lawyer and member of the Episcopal Church of St. Peter & St. Paul in East Cobb, said the church needs the electronic sign to keep up with the times. Plus, the church already spent $29,000 on a new sign not knowing it was prohibited, he said.
Requiring the church to use an old-fashioned sign doesn’t make sense, Dowdy said. “It would be the same as putting a rotary dial phone on your desk,” he said.
Neighbors in West Cobb say such signs have no place in residential areas.
“That’s just going to encourage more of the Las Vegas-type atmosphere,” said Keli Gambrill, president of People Looking After Neighborhoods, or PLAN. “A person is going to look into a church. They’re going to find out what time the services are. Do we really need to put an electronic reader board out there?”
More here-
http://www.ajc.com/services/content/printedition/2009/07/05/signs0705.html
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