Johns Creek will soon hold a town hall meeting regarding a controversial topic for the city: billboards.
The meeting comes after public outcry over a recently-erected LED billboard near a historic African-American freed slaves cemetery on Medlock Bridge Road.
Preservation groups, such as Preserve Johns Creek, say the sign near Macedonia African Methodist Cemetery is possibly illegal.
The Georgia Department of Transportation originally denied the billboard operators' application, citing state law that the location was within 500 feet of the cemetery boundary, according to grassroots group Stop Johns Creek Billboards. After the company appealed, GDOT said the 500 feet should be measured from the first headstone — not the boundary line — and approved the location.
Billboards have been a problem for Johns Creek since soon after its incorporation in 2006, when it joined with Fulton County in a lawsuit filed by billboard companies. The county had denied applications for 75 sign permits. The state Supreme Court subsequently struck down Fulton's sign ordinance as unconstitutional.
Johns Creek officials negotiated with the companies for an agreement that allowed for 10 billboards to be erected in 10 locations. As of December, 7 of the 10 billboards have been erected.
The town hall meeting will be held Dec. 20. Questions not addressed on the FAQ document and settlement agreement may be submitted in advance at communications@johnscreekga.gov or on Facebook.
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