"Location, location, location" is the mantra of the real estate business.
Location also is the reason Washington officials have concerns about an 8-foot-by-16-foot digital billboard that Robinson Outdoor wants to install on an approximately 0.7-acre lot on the southeast corner of the busy intersection of Eagle Avenue and Peoria Street, also known as U.S. Business Route 24.
Robinson Outdoor is seeking a variance in the former Todd's Servicenter location at 1230 Peoria Street so it can put up the large billboard. The gas station was demolished in 2021.
The city's Planning and Zoning Commission voted unanimously in November to recommend the city council reject the variance request from Missouri-based Robinson Outdoor. Jon Oliphant, the city's planning and development director, said city staff also recommends denial of the variance.
"While digital billboards can provide useful community information, that is offset [in this case] by the potential detrimental impacts," he said.
Danny Marler, property acquisition specialist for Robinson Outdoor, spoke at a city council meeting this week about the proposed billboard after accepting an invitation from the council.
He called the proposed billboard location a "home run."
Several council members said they like the benefits of Robinson Outdoor's proposed billboard, especially because city news and announcements would be posted, but don't want the billboard placed in the Eagle-Business 24 intersection for safety reasons.
"There are significant challenges in that intersection, especially pedestrian traffic," said Alderperson Mike McIntyre. "Plus, I don't want to go against what the Planning and Zoning Commission recommended."
Alderperson Jamie Smith was more blunt.
"This may be the best location for you, but not for our community," she said to Marler.
The signalized intersection gets busy with traffic during mornings and afternoons in the school year when the nearby Central Intermediate and Primary schools are in session. There also is traffic during the school year from Washington Community High School.
The most recent average daily traffic count in the intersection, done in 2023, was 16,200 vehicles. That does not include the new section of Eagle south of Business 24.
Traffic accidents in the area of the intersection are not uncommon.
"According to the Washington Police Department, the vast majority of traffic accidents in the city occur on Business Route 24 west of Wilmor Road after Business Route 24 widens to four lanes," Oliphant said.
Pedestrian traffic in the Eagle-Business 24 intersection is often substantial, too, especially with Central students crossing Peoria Street to get to and from the Beck's convenience store.
The city council plans to continue its discussion of Robinson Outdoor's variance request next week at a committee of the whole meeting, then vote on the issue in February.
The requested variance includes:
• Allowing a large billboard adjacent to a road with a maximum permissible speed limit of less than 55 miles per hour.
• Allowing a large billboard to be placed less than 20 feet from a property line.
• Allowing a large billboard to be located less than 500 feet from the nearest lot line of a residential zoned lot.
Marler said Robinson Outdoor will explore alternative sites for the billboard.
