Billboard company seeking variance

The county's land use regulations are preventing a local outdoor advertising company from purchasing property for four of its billboards.

Jodean Lemmons of Daisy Outdoor Advertising wants to purchase property near Henson Road in Blacksburg and subdivide it into four .05-acre lots for the billboards.

But the county land use regulations establish a minimum lot size of one-half acre. The plat submitted by Lemmons also fails to comply with the frontage requirement of 50 feet on a public right-of-way.

Lemmons has sought a variance from the Cherokee County Board of Appeals. He claims he can't record the property without a variance.

The appeals board was expected to hear the variance request at its meeting on Thursday, but the board rescheduled the hearing for a lack of a quorum.

Lemmons also was a noshow at the appeals hearing.

Lemmons had been leasing the property from the previous property owner, but is attempting to purchase the property from the new landowner.

The Appalachian Council of Governments, which forwards advisory opinions to the appeals board, has recommended the variance be denied because Lemmons fails to show a unique physical characteristic of the property that causes a hardship.