Vernon Gets Sweet Deal With New Electronic Billboard

VERNON, CT — A new electronic billboard visible from Interstate 84 and state Route 30 in Vernon is up and running and boy did town officials cut a deal.

The billboard was first announced in August 2022 and plans were to place it on a hillside behind the Travelodge Hotel on the banks of the Hockanum River. For what Vernon Town Administrator Michael Purcaro termed "logistical and regulatory" reasons, it was moved to a spot behind stores at the Vernon Commons Shopping Plaza at 520 Hartford Turnpike, the local address for that location on Route 30.

The billboard was lit up this week while displaying several ads for businesses and restaurants.

On paper it seems like a sweet deal, considering the corridor is lined with billboards anyway. Purcaro said the town received a one-time payment of $250,000 for hosting the sign and gets a half-dozen advertising spots in the rotation that began Thursday.

One example was a ad that the town is hiring for several municipal jobs.

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The town will also get priority to display local messages during emergencies, Purcaro said.

When it was first proposed, Vernon Mayor Daniel Champagne likened the electronic billboard to "a big TV."

Champagne said that, although though the new one will have more clarity, it will feature louvers that make the displays much less-intrusive than traditional billboards that are illuminated by upward-pointing lights that can arguably be seen from Mars.