St. Johns County, Florida commissioners are considering implementation of a two-year pilot program that would pave the way for at least some digital billboards to be installed along Interstate I-95.

County Administrator Michael Wanchick said the item had been before the board twice since November 2015.  Wanchick said moving forward with a pilot program would allow the commission to make a decision based on “what does or does not happen.”

St. Johns County is South of Jacksonville and includes the city of St. Augustine on the east coast of Florida.

The St. Augustine Record reports that:

• The program would feature a points-based swap-down system requiring removal of four to five traditional billboards for every one digital sign installed.

• Nonconforming traditional billboards that have been grandfathered in cannot be replaced with new digital billboards.

• County documents indicate the swap-down system has already reduced the number of active billboards within the county from 579 in the year 2000 to 301 in 2015, for an overall reduction of 278.

• Also under consideration are changes to the sign code to make it consistent with new case law received from the U.S. Supreme Court regarding content neutrality.

• Both Outfront Media and Clear Channel Outdoor have been working with the county on the program.

This was the first of a three-part hearing. An ordinance for enactment of the proposed changes will be heard by the county’s Planning and Zoning Agency at its Dec. 1 meeting before coming back to the commission at a later date.

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