Residents at a Jan. 30 special town meeting will get another chance to approve a revised sign zoning bylaw that would allow electronic billboards on Interstate 95 through town.
At the May annual town meeting, voters opposed a similar proposal.
This time around, though, a controversial part that included allowing the signs also off Interstate 495 on town-owned property behind the public works garage on Elm Street, which is also situated in the limited industrial zoning district, has been struck.
“That was a stumbling block,” said local attorney Frank Spillane, who appeared before selectmen at their meeting last week to discuss the revised proposal, which will go before town meeting as a citizens petition.
Another change, the distance the billboards could be located from homes has been extended from 300 to 1,000 feet on the same side of I-95, and 500 feet on the opposite side of the highway.
Supporters hope the changes will make the measure more palatable.
The billboard requests have come from plans to site a new billboard on land owned by Arthur Rounds, who Spillane represents, at the corner of East Belcher and Spring Brook roads.
The bylaw would only allow the signs in a limited area of I-95 bordering East Belcher Road, possibly just one sign at each end of the stretch of the highway, although only one sign may be feasible because of wetlands at one end, the petitioners admitted.
The intention is for double-sided signs but they may only be one-sided, they said.
“We feel this would be a good compromise,” Spillane said.
Selectmen, who along with others have cited more revenue coming into town from more electronic signs, were receptive.
“I think the change in feet is big,” selectmen Chair Leah Gibson said, referring to the sign distance from homes.
Robert Burr, a former Canton selectman and resident agent for American Outdoor Media LLC of Swampscott, accompanied Spillane and said generally the signs are on 90-foot-high poles.
“As far as I’m concerned, billboards are a blight,” resident Mark Powers of Prospect Street said.
“They take away from the image of the town, which I’d hate to see.”
The town allows nonelectronic and electronic billboards along Route 1 already.
Burr acknowledged some residents won’t be able to be swayed to back billboards.
“It’s an evolving industry,” Spillane said.
“We think this is the next step and will have minimal impact on residents. Possibly in the middle of winter some might be able to look out and see it.”
Zoning board of appeals approval would be needed for the signs to be installed in town.