billboard on N.J. Turnpike
Infinity Outdoor files
suit to overturn road
sign regulations
By nicole c. vaccaro
Staff Writer
EAST BRUNSWICK — The township Zoning Board of Adjustment has denied Infinity Outdoor Inc., Fairfield, permission to erect a billboard along the southbound side of the N.J. Turnpike.
The application, submitted by Infinity earlier this year, was finally voted down by zoning officials during their Dec. 7 meeting.
Not only would the 14-by-48-foot billboard be aesthetically unpleasant to residents along Ryders Lane, said officials, but it would also be in violation of a recent town ordinance.
The ordinance, adopted in February, outlines three designated areas where billboards may be placed (all on the northbound side) and limits the number of billboards allowed to four.
Infinity has voiced its opposition to the ordinance, arguing it is in violation of its First Amendment rights involving commercial free speech and should not be used as a basis for the board’s decision.
Zoning Board member Philip Bramson disagreed. "The town has made provisions for promoting free speech of this kind in specific zones," Bramson stated. "If we were to make an exception for you, it would set an unwanted precedent in our community."
Infinity filed a lawsuit in March trying to get the ordinance overturned; however, because the litigation is still pending, the Zoning Board’s decision will stand for now.
Legal representatives from Infinity Outdoor Inc. could not be reached for comment.
For months, zoning officials have heard applications from companies wishing to have their billboards included in one of the four allowed along the turnpike.
Despite residents’ objections, the board granted permission to two of these applicants in August. The first, Carole Media of Wayne, would obtain a location along Tices Lane. The second, Philcor Media of Philadelphia, would place its advertisement on Kennedy Boulevard.