By Jeff Swiatek

The city has reversed a zoning variance granted to Lamar Advertising last week to build the first digital billboard in Marion County.

The Metropolitan Development Commission, acting as a zoning appeals board, voted 7-0 Wednesday to deny the variance to the national billboard giant to convert one of its billboards near Keystone at the Crossing into a digital format.

The commission's vote came a day after Lawrence's zoning board approved conversion of two billboards along I-465 into digital formats. Those boards, operated by Lamar and Lightpoint Impressions, are on the west side of I-465 near East 46th Street.

The commission's action reverses an earlier zoning board approval of the variance Lamar sought to turn one side of its billboard at White River and East 86th Street into a digital format.

Digital billboards use tiny LED lights to display advertising messages that typically change every 10 to 20 seconds.

"We're disappointed. We feel there was a lot of disinformation" presented about digital billboards, said Chris Iverson, Lamar's Indiana general manager, of the commission's denial.

Iverson said he doesn't know if Lamar will try to appeal the commission's vote.

Opponents, including neighborhood groups, who addressed the commission said the digital sign would distract motorists and that Lamar doesn't deserve a variance from the county ordinance that bans digital billboards not located on a business's property.

At least six City-County Council members submitted letters to the commission voicing opposition to the digital sign on 86th Street, said commission spokesman John Bartholomew. The 86th Street board currently is equipped with mechanical louvers that display three messages in succession.

Digital boards are expensive, costing up to $500,000 each, but advertising companies can reap more revenue from the signs because they typically can display four to six messages every minute.

Several digital boards already have been built in surrounding counties.

Lawrence's zoning board attached conditions to its approvals of the interstate-fronting digital billboards proposed by Lamar, based in Baton Rouge, La., and Lightpoint, of Charlottesville, Va.

The city of Lawrence won't permit animated displays or more than one advertising message every 10 seconds. Lawrence also will require the companies to run Amber Alerts and other public service ads, said Lawrence redevelopment director Tom Crouch. Both companies also will have to remove one of their billboards along Pendleton Pike in Lawrence.

Indianapolis' zoning board had put some of the same conditions on the 86th Street billboard.