Adams forgot about billboards it promised to remove

Last year, the city of Charlotte struck a deal with Adams Outdoor Advertising that allowed the company to erect a new billboard on city-owned land near Interstate 485.

The deal called for Adams to pay the city some rent, but much of the benefit came from the billboard company promising two things: not to cut down trees; and to remove two billboards on Albemarle Road.

But 18 months after the City Council approved the contract, the Albemarle Road billboards are still standing.

In response to an Observer inquiry Friday, Adams Outdoor Advertising said it forgot to take down the signs, at 9922 and 5802 Albemarle Road. It said it will remove them by the end of October.

“It slipped through the cracks,” said Jeanine Dodson, the Adams general manager of the Charlotte office.

The city apparently forgot to remind the company as well.

The agreement also calls for the city to get $15,000 worth of free annual advertising for 20 years for public service announcements. The city hasn’t yet used any of its credits for the PSAs.

City spokesperson Sandy D’Elosua said the city still plans to use its free advertising, whose value rolls over for at least one additional year. But she doesn’t know what the public service campaign will be.

“We do plan to use the space,” she said.

Adams also promised the city not to cut down some trees along Independence Boulevard and Albemarle Road that were in front of its billboards. A 3-year-old state law gives billboard companies more leeway to cut down trees and other vegetation on state-owned right-of-way in front of billboards.

The city also was slated to receive $235,000 over 20 years for allowing Adams to lease the land at the McAlpine Creek Wastewater Treatment Plant. The billboard on the site was erected in March.

This story was originally published September 25, 2015 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Adams forgot about billboards it promised to remove."