'Seems very random': South Tulsa neighbors frustrated by new billboard

TULSA, Okla. — Social media and our 2 News Problem Solvers line blew up after an LED billboard began going up near 111th and Yale.

"Overnight we see a base we put up earlier this week and now today, obviously you see the structure," Andrea Ellsworth said.

"It's more appropriate off of like a turnpike or a highway, you know, not a residential area," Micah, a neighbor, added.

A two-sided LED billboard built on the northwest corner of the intersection, sitting on land owned by a member of the Muscogee Nation, according to documents.

Andrea Ellsworth, who lives nearby, says it came as a suprise.

"If you drive one mile within this perimeter, there's not a large billboard anywhere," Ellsworth said. "So now all of a sudden I have one big billboard pop up with LED lights, it seems very random."

Some, like Andrea, were confused. Others like Micah, who also lives close by, remain frustrated at what she felt was a lack of notice.

"I think it was only appropriate to notify residents to work something out," Micah said. "I think the reason why they probably didn't go to any effort to notify residents is because they knew what kind of feedback they'd get."

"It's usually a channel where they notify residents, homeowners, businesses. Here's what's going on, we're going to take this before a committee. And none of that seemed to happen," Ellsworth added.

2 News talked with Jeff Gordon, the owner of Gordon Outdoor Advertising putting the billboard up. He tells us the list is long as far as things they have to do to put the sign in, and that they followed every rule and regulation.

"The preliminary is intense to get this billboard in here," Gordon said. "We haven't cowboyed this in here. We went above and beyond. We've done everything we should. We're not out here building a board without permission."

As for those saying it's just a billboard, Micah says it's more than that.

"You can go live in that community where everyone can do exactly as they want and there's no separation between business and personal lives."