Exploring Issues in Eldersburg: Are Billboards Distracting Eyesores or Business Boosters?

Last week in our "Exploring Issues" feature we looked at the whether or not with people pitching in their comments and ideas in the comments section and on Facebook.

The topic was also popular in our poll on the subject, with 65 percent saying that a change in ZIP code was not necessary and 34 percent saying that Eldersburg should have a separate ZIP code from Sykesville.

This week we're looking at billboards in the Eldersburg and Sykesville area. Some counties limit the use of the large signs that line roads with messages from advertisers.

In Carroll County, billboards are allowed but their size is limited. In 2003, the Carroll County Board of Commissioners passed a law that reduced the maximum height for new billboards from 30 feet to 10 feet tall and the maximum square footage from 380 square feet to 32 square feet, according to an article by The Baltimore Sun.

This decision did not affect the nearly 400 billboards already in use at the time.

Both Eldersburg and Sykesville have several billboards lining area roads. Are these signs good for business and help inform residents, or are they eyesores that should be limited even further?