Moving quickly to protect the quality of life of those Ward 5 residents affected by the monstrosity of a billboard on Lowell Street near Route 1, Peabody Mayor Ted Bettencourt has issued a cease and desist order through the building inspector’s office.
“As we speak, the building inspector is issuing a cease-and-desist order,” Mayor Ted Bettencourt told the Salem News said yesterday. “I want the pole taken down, and I want the pole put behind the building where it’s supposed to be.”
The request to place the giant poll and billboard near the new Subway sub shop was originally rejected by Peabody’s City Council. The vote was 6-5 in favor, but the special permit needed at least 8 votes for passage. The billboard company then got a court order, with a judge allowing for the billboard, citing that there were other such structures in the same vicinity.
The problem, though, according to the Mayor, is that the 90-foot poll for the billboard has not been erected in the right place. The city says it should have been erected well behind the sub shop and out of site to people driving along Lowell Street. Instead, it’s set up next to the shop, where it overwhelms its surroundings.
We’ll see what happens now, but hats off to the Mayor for moving quickly on this, and continuing to understand that there is no issue more important than resident quality of life.
OG says….oh yes…good for you Teflon Ted…and if you take a look in the back parking lot of Subway you will see ‘test holes’ so ‘someone’ apparently decided it would be easier based on ground samples I suspect to erect the King Kong pole where it is now rather than in the back of the building where it may have been originally intended to go !
OG, what are you doing out behind the Subway parking lot? Sounds a little sketchy, pal.
OG,
You are SOooo right on!
More on this fiasco after I complete my fact-finding.
have you found any new fact finding
they are trying to pull a fast one, I heard that it maybe conservation land and also that they had to dig 30 feet to put that “stack pole” and double bill board.. I say we need to let this sign company from Seattle Washington who only are looking at dollars they are NOT WELCOME in our City…
Anon, have you found anything in your fact finding
I suspect it will be a losing battle but it really is quite a monster. Would love to see them be forced to move it.