City of Conroe prohibits new billboards within ETJ

The city of Conroe city council voted March 12 to prohibit new billboards to be placed within its extraterritorial jurisdiction, which includes about 6.2 miles along the Grand Parkway.

The Grand Parkway segments F1, F2 and G are under construction in north Harris and south Montgomery counties and span about 38 miles. The new toll way segments will connect Hwy. 290 to Hwy. 59 and are scheduled to be complete by the end of the year.

"The Grand Parkway Association came to us some time ago," said Nancy Mikeska, assistant director of community development. "The Grand Parkway is going to be a billboard-free parkway, a scenic-type parkway Numerous cities along the parkway have adopted an ordinance that prohibit billboards in their ETJ."

The city of Conroe already had an ordinance prohibiting new billboards within the city, but not within the ETJ, Mineska said.

"Our whole ETJ will become Billboard City if we don't [prohibit them]—that is the problem as much as the Grand Parkway," Mayor Pro-Tem Guy Martin said. "It is going to be the only place that other billboards can come and they will multiply quickly if we don't do this because we only game in town left."

Cities that have adopted such an ordinance include Houston, Tomball, Baytown and Friendswood, according to the city. The Woodlands Township has also adopted rules prohibiting new billboards within the township.