By Greg Ellison

(July 9, 2020) The OPA Communication Advisory Committee’s efforts to upgrade more than a dozen manually updated community signs took another step forward last Wednesday after the board approved a zoning amendment application with Worcester County.

Director Dr. Colette Horn reported during the board meeting that existing county zoning regulations would require an OPA-only exception.

“All this does is change the text of the law,” she said. “Once that text is changed it’s encoded.”

The Communication Advisory Committee began discussions with sign vendors last September about moving up to digital signs from the outdated letter board versions.

“The county would prefer we move forward because they’re not in favor of the (letter board) signs that we have now,” Horn said. “They would like to see those signs replaced with something that, in their view, is safer in terms of traveling up and down the roads.”

OPA President Doug Parks said the board decision under consideration would permit the amendment application process to proceed, which includes a $350 processing fee.

“That doesn’t mean we’re going to actually purchase the signs … but we will have the proper governance from the county to move forward should we decide to do so,” he said.

The board voted 6-0 to approve the amendment application, with Director Camilla Rogers not present due to an excused absence.