Hendersonville's city council last Thursday issued a temporary 'moratorium' on issuing any additional permits for electronic signs in the current permitted city districts that allow such signs until November 4th.  The matter could again be taken up by council at its November 7th meeting. 

The city says this will give them time for their workers to count the number of signs that are currently in operation with prior permit approval of the city and to adopt a sign ordinance for these types of signs. City officials will meet with the city's planning board a part of this process according to staff reports. 

In a story by WLOS-TV on Wednesday evening, the female reporter was standing in front of the WHKP ELECTRONIC (LED) MESSAGE CENTER in front of BROADCAST HOUSE at the corner of Dana Road and Four Seasons Boulevard, where she incorrectly named WHKP as WKHP and went on to show video footage of the WHKP display along with several other structures at business firms around town which she labeled as 'flashing messages'. 

The WHKP RADIO MESSAGE CENTER has been in place for some 22 years and has become known not only as a 'landmark', but also as the COMMUNITY COMMUNICATOR. It is currently used as a promotional display for the radio stations WHKP AM 1450 and FM 107.7, and their programs, and also as an adjunct for local businesses and non-profit organizations in the area to talk about their businesses and services.   The WHKP DISPLAY is the only LED sign in the city that is legally permitted by both the City of Hendersonville and by the North Carolina Department of Transportation, giving it the right to perform off-premise advertising. 

The manager of WHKP also told reporters that the station is 'grand-fathered' with the permitting of their Message Center by the city and state, which would allow the continuation of their operation as it is now with their 'changing messages' being controlled by NCDOT rules and regulations.   

Several 'on-camera' interviews were conducted by the TV station with local sign owners coming under this new 'city edict', one of which indicated that the electronic sign was a very costly item of some $20,000 for them to purchase and install and very important in telling the motoring public what her business was about and drawing them inside their store. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The council may address the issue again at its Nov. 7 meeting, which will occur a few days after the moratorium expires.