Revere residents gear up to fight billboard proposal

REVERE – The prospect of another billboard in the city is upsetting some residents. A proposed billboard on Squire Road has been a hot topic lately in the city.?Through the efforts of the Beautification Committee, mitigation features with new businesses, we have beautifully landscaped rotaries, median strips and during the spring and summer, hanging plants that adorn the entire Broadway area,” Denise Salemi said. “After all these efforts, who would think that we would want to put back what we so victoriously removed?”Vincent Giachetti, of Lynnfield, is seeking permission from the City Council to construct a billboard on lot six at 427 Squire Road.There will be a public zoning subcommittee to discuss the matter further.The billboard would be in the rear of the Four Points Sheraton Hotel and double-sided according to Councilor at Large John R. Correggio.However, City Councilors are keeping an open mind about the billboard and will vote on the matter after the subcommittee.?I haven?t made my mind up either way. I want to be open-minded and learn more about it at the subcommittee,” Ward 3 Councilor Arthur Guinasso said to the Item on Wednesday.The ward councilor said that the city could potentially earn $12,000 annually from the billboard.?That is definitely money the city could use,” Guinasso said.However, Salemi believes the money the city could earn is not worth it.?The meager thousands of dollars of revenue that a billboard generates pales to the tens of thousands of dollars on depreciation value to residential housing,” she said.Correggio is also waiting for the sub committee to make a final opinion.?I really want to see how the residents feel about it,” Correggio said.Both Correggio and Guinasso agree that there should be strict guidelines on where a billboard can and can?t go.?If it affects the quality of life then I?m not in favor of it,” Correggio said. “No billboard should be in a residential area.”?I?m usually not in favor of billboards but obviously there are appropriate places for a billboard and places where it would not be appropriate,” Guinasso added.There are no residential houses near the area of the proposed billboard.?It is on the commercial side of Squire Road,” Correggio said.There has been a mysterious flyer placed around the city warning residents of the billboard. On the flyer it has an illustration of three billboards next to each other and says that if this billboard gets the OK from the council more could easily follow.?A lot of the information on the flyer was fabricated. They have three billboards and that is not the case. I would never support that,” Correggio said.Ward 6 councilor Charles J. Patch called the poster a “scare tactic” at Monday night?s city council meeting.?Fear makes people do funny things,” Patch said.Some residents are worried that if this billboard gets approved then more will start appearing in the city.?I?m a firm believer that one billboard begets another, and another and another,” Salemi said. “My husband said it so perfectly when he commented, ?They are like weeds. They are ugly and they can spread so easily. Yet, the effort and cost to remove them can be so outrageously expensive.?”Guinasso disagrees.?Each billboard proposal has to come to the council. We have to approve it and we don?t approve every one,” he said.Sara Brown can be reached at [email protected].