The McDonalds sign was the last to come down following a new Town of Columbus sign ordinance going into effect yesterday.
The McDonalds sign was removed along with the Waffle House, Texaco and Shell/Burger King in the last couple of weeks. The town enacted the ordinance in 2003, but gave businesses six years, with a Feb. 16, 2010 deadline to comply with the new regulations.
The new regulation for the I-26 corridor in Columbus now says that signs cannot exceed 30 feet in height. The I-26 corridor affected by the regulation includes 500 feet on each side of the I-26 interchange.
The town approved the new 30 foot maximum regulation in 2003, with officials saying then that the corridor is the first thing visitors see when getting off the interstate. Town officials say they want the I-26 corridor to be consistent with regulations in other parts of town and have often noted the danger of the tall signs. On several incidences in high winds, pieces of broken signs have fallen to the ground.