McMinnville officials are awaiting a ruling by Judge Bart Stanley after being sued by Roland Advertising. The wait could end Monday.
Stanley has heard the case and a ruling is expected within days.
“I heard the case on Tuesday,” said Stanley on Friday. “I may have time today to start working on it, but I have been in an alimony case for five days. It could be Monday.”
Dave Roland filed a case Feb. 22 and another on Sept. 10 against the city of McMinnville claiming the city has “caused and is causing irreparable harm to Roland for which Roland has no adequate remedy at law” for not allowing the business to place digital billboards here.
The Feb. 22 lawsuit stems from a failed attempt by Roland Advertising in 2011 to place a 300-foot digital billboard at one of the busiest intersections in town — Smithville Highway and the bypass.
The business asked the city for permission to place an off-premise sign at the intersection. McMinnville’s codes department denied the request as city code requires these types of signs to be 1,000 feet apart and one existed 500 feet away. The decision was later upheld by McMinnville’s Board of Zoning Appeals.
The Sept. 10 lawsuit stems from a failed attempt by Roland Advertising in 2012 to place a 300-foot digital sign on the corner of Walker Street and N. Chancery Street. After asking the city for permission, the second attempt ended the same as the first.
City attorney Tim Pirtle, who represents the city, says Roland Advertising wants the judge to determine if the city dismissed its requests without actually considering them.
“What they are asking the judge for is his determination if they were summarily dismissed by the city,” said Pirtle. “Both requests were considered, and I believe the city was well within its rights to deny them.”