By Eric Stock

NORMAL – Normal’s Town Council has narrowly approved allowing two billboards in the northeast part of town to stay, looking past an agreement the town reached with a developer in 1999 that had called for one of the signs to be removed five years later.

Councilwoman Cheryl Gaines said she’s concerned about ‘visual pollution.’

“Sometimes some of the signs that go up to advertise things are not always necessarily the best of taste,” Gaines said.

An amendment passed on a 4-to-3 vote allowing the signs to stay. Councilman Jeff Fritzen sees the signs as assets.

“I think these are valuable helps to people,” Fritzen said.

Councilman R.C. McBride said he understands billboards can be a money maker for private business, but “I’m also very sympathetic to the idea of clutter.”

“I don’t think we want a lot of that in our community,” McBride said.

Councilman Scott Preston said he doesn’t see the problem.

“It’s been there for about 16 years and hasn’t been an issue so far,” Preston said.

City manager Mark Peterson said the town will make sure to revisit the issue five years from now. The issue came up as the town passed a series of measures as part of a new subdivision.

Eric Stock can be reached at [email protected].