Tree Clearing for a Billboard on Independence Boulevard in Charlotte, North Carolina, Draws Controversy on October 27: Merchant Says No Notice Given, Environmental Group Calls for Low Native Replanting
Charlotte, Mecklenburg County, North Carolina: Tree clearing along Independence Boulevard in Charlotte's Plaza Midwood neighborhood continued to draw controversy on October 27. Adams Outdoor Advertising, under a state right-of-way permit, began clearing vegetation within 500 feet in front of a Charlotte FC billboard to make the sign more visible. Todd Hubber, owner of Undercurrent Coffee, said he received no notice before the cutting began on Monday; he had signed a 15-year lease on Commonwealth Avenue precisely because of the tree-lined street's beauty and its insulation from traffic noise, and now, with a clear view of the highway, he worries his business will be affected. Shannon Binns, executive director of the nonprofit Sustain Charlotte, organized local business owners to push back, confronted company representatives on site, and argued for replanting native low-growing vegetation that would not block the billboard. Under a 2024 North Carolina law, billboard companies may selectively remove 500 feet of vegetation along the state right-of-way. WFAE reported on October 28 that when it called the company's listed phone number, it was told the number was wrong.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 资料图：夏洛特市政厅（固定图库 cities 包）
