Electronic billboards are not currently allowed in Prairie Township, but in the future they may start to replace traditional billboards.
Township code currently prohibits moving parts on billboards. Zoning Inspector Connie Swisher asked the township trustees for their input on allowing the newer technology at the Oct. 22 trustee meeting. Reaction was mixed.
Chair Nicole Schlosser was in favor, saying she’d like to see them in the township. She noted that the traditional billboards can start to look bad over time, whether from storm damage or from neglect when they’re not rented. They also can display community alerts in emergencies or Amber Alerts if a child is missing.
“Being a parent, I think that’s excellent,” she said.
Trustee Steve Kennedy had reservations, saying he thought the changing signs could cause a safety issue by distracting drivers.
Also at the meeting, the trustees established a no parking zone on Beacon Hill Road from Buena Vista Avenue east to an already existing no parking zone near Doctors Hospital. Administrator Tracy Hatmaker said the road narrows in that section and there were safety concerns.
Plans are moving along for a proposed addition for Doctors Hospital. Swisher said there would be a new emergency room and 50 treatment rooms. There are also plans for an adjacent three-story building that would house offices and a medical education center.
The trustees will hold a public hearing on Nov. 19 concerning a petition to create a lighting district in West Point II. They will meet at the site of the proposed district at 6 p.m. and then convene for a public hearing at 7 p.m.
Deputy Weiner from the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office told the trustees there were two shootings in the township recently in the South Village area. He said the shootings were unrelated, and they were currently working on the cases. He also noted that a sexual predator who drove down from northern Ohio to meet a 14-year-old was arrested. He said undercover detectives were on the scene and the individual was arrested and charged.
