County's sign ordinance shouldn't be changed 'for political purposes'

Editor:

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In the May 16 News-Times, Jeri Whitworth wrote a letter about the changes in the sign ordinances in Columbia County.

I was on the Columbia County Planning and Zoning commission when this ordinance was passed. It took months to get this through the county commission because of politics, not whether the ordinance was good or bad.

If I am not mistaken, Ray Peters of AAA Sign Co. helped write this ordinance so that the professionals would have input.

There are different regulations for different areas of the county. The Evans Town Center has the strongest rules as far as signs are concerned. When Walmart was coming in, they wanted more signage than the ordinance allowed, but the planning commission stuck with the law and Walmart complied. Do not change the ordinance for political purposes.

When Mrs. Whitworth came before the planning commission, you listened to her because she had spent hours studying the law and the petitions so she knew what was going on. If Columbia County had many Jeri Whitworths, we would be better off. When she came before the commission, she was not by herself, but she had a following that supported her.

Thanks, Jeri, for doing the job that all of us should be doing.

Edgar R. Pund

Appling