A sign company’s second attempt at placing at large billboard in one of Washington’s busiest intersections was taken off the Washington City Council meeting agenda Monday so council members could review the request if they ever need to consider it.
Missouri-based Robinson Outdoor, on behalf of the Eagle Ridge Development Company, wants to put up an approximately 128-square foot, 20-foot tall electronic digital billboard on a vacant 3/4-acre site at the southeast corner of the Eagle Avenue intersection with Peoria Street, also known as U.S. Business Route 24.
The site was formerly the location of Todd’s Servicenter before it was demolished in 2021.
City staff does not want a billboard placed there, noting that Central Intermediate and Primary schools are close to the signalized intersection. The crossing had an average daily traffic count of 16,200 in 2023, not including a section of Eagle south of Business Route 24.
Central students often cross at the intersection to get to businesses on the other side.
Washington Community High School also isn’t far away, “and the vast majority of traffic accidents reported to the Washington Police Department occur on Business Route 24 to the west of Wilmor Road after it widens to four lanes,” said Jon Oliphant, the city’s planning and development director.
“The Eagle and Business Route 24 intersection has a lot of traffic, plus it’s close to schools, which create younger pedestrian traffic. That’s one of the main reasons why we do not advocate for a billboard there,” he said.
Oliphant also has concerns that the billboard would “inhibit the property’s development potential,” and “detract from the aesthetics of the corridor.”
A variance must be approved by the council to move forward with the billboard installation.
Robinson is asking for a variance that contains three components. It would allow a large billboard to be placed adjacent to a road that has a maximum permissible speed limit of less than 55 mph; located less than 20 feet from the property line; and less than 500 feet from the lot line of a residential zoned lot.
In October 2024, the city’s planning and zoning commission recommended that a variance for the billboard be denied by the council, and Robinson did not pursue it any further.
A revised request by Robinson which reduces the billboard’s size from 200 square feet again was recommended for denial by the commission on Nov. 5.
The request was scheduled for a first reading Monday by the council, but pulled off the agenda on the recommendation of Mayor Lilija Stevens. The council unanimously approved Stevens’ suggestion.
Stevens said the delay would give the council more time to study the request if Robinson continues to pursue it.
“Because the council really hasn’t heard much about this, nor from Robinson, I thought it would be best if we waited and perhaps extended an invitation to Robinson to talk to us,” she said.
There’s another stumbling block in Robinson’s proposal. Because Business Route 24 is under the jurisdiction of the Illinois Department of Transportation, a permit from IDOT’s outdoor advertising department is needed.
Also Monday, the council recognized the Central Intermediate softball team for its 20-1 record and second-place finish in the IESA Class 3A state tournament, and City Clerk Valeri Brod for her Certified Municipal Clerk designation awarded by the International Institute of Municipal Clerks.
