Talks over Round Barn billboard break down

Negotiations to move a controversial billboard near the historic Round Barn of Arcadia, Okla., have reached an impasse, reports the Edmond Sun.

In September, Zoom Media bought a small parcel just east of the Round Barn and began to install a billboard. Claiming it was an eyesore, officials with the Arcadia Historical Society protested, even though city ordinances did not prohibit billboards.

Zoom Media soon offered five options, including one to move the billboard to another location for $12,000. Months of negotiations followed.

The Sun reported:

On Tuesday, Linda Simonton, a trustee of the Arcadia Historical Society, said negotiations have completely broken down and the society was pursuing legal action. […]

Earlier this week it was learned that the bottom two slots (of the billboard) were occupied by advertising related to the Salvation Army.

Heide Brandes, spokeswoman for the Salvation Army, said the space was given to the organization at no cost, a generous gesture. However, after Arcadia residents complained about the development, the Salvation Army asked Zoom Media to remove it, and the company agreed to do so, Brandes said.

A couple of observations …

First, this notion that the historical society is pursuing legal action is nothing more than a bluff. Absolutely no evidence has surfaced that this land buy was illegal, so a court fight seems frivolous. About the only option that seems possible is for the city of Arcadia to seize the land by eminent domain, compensate Zoom Media, and dismantle the billboard.

Second, the historical society shot itself in the foot with hyperbole during the opening days of the dispute, including calling the billboard a “desecration” of the Round Barn. The billboard does not obscure the Round Barn from any vantage point, except for a few hundred feet from the east. The billboard does not interfere with usual photo ops directly across the road.

And this notion that billboards are Satan’s Spawn seems silly, especially when Route 66 boasts plenty of fun or historic billboards such as Meramec Caverns, Big Texan Steak Ranch, Jackrabbit Trading Post, and Tucumcari Tonite!

Perhaps Arcadia will bring enough pressure to persuade Zoom Media to eventually remove the sign. In the meantime, this isn’t much of a crisis for the Mother Road.

7 thoughts on “Talks over Round Barn billboard break down

  1. One of the best photo vantage points is in front of Biker Shack, just east of the Round Barn and the sign does obscure the view. What a shame that some advertising company had to sneakly purchase land from some greedy property owner toerect a sign there, couldn’t hey just have easily bought land either east orwest of there?

  2. Wasn’t the land purchased by Mazaheri properties located over by Mercy? The father owns a real estate company the daughter, is Mazaheri law firm? Call them and tell them you want the sign removed. Zoom media only put up the sign I believe.
    Mazaheri has billboards all over town with advertising about her law firm.

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