By Ashley McLeod, Staff Writer
May 20, 2014, 10:29
PRINCE GEORGE — The Board of Supervisors approved a measure last week that would prohibit solicitation of any kind to occupants of motor vehicles on any road or highway in Prince George.
The new ordinance will make this action a traffic infraction, with a first offense punishment of $100.
“We were having a noticeable increase of issues with a lot of individuals at traffic lights, on the shoulders, coming up to vehicles when they were stopped at the light,” said Prince George Police Chief Ed Frankenstein at a meeting in April, when the ordinance was first brought up.
The ordinance states that any distribution of handbills, leaflets, newspapers, magazines, bulletins, literature, advertisements, or similar material to occupants of motor vehicles will now be unlawful. Any solicitation of contributions is also included in this measure, as well as the sale of services to occupants on roadways.
“Often times it creates distractions and potentially could cause traffic crashes. We’re trying to take a proactive measure to prohibit that,” Frankenstein said.
The ordinance includes any solicitation on highways and roads, including private streets.
Also approved at the meeting was a plan to create a tourism zone at the exit 45 area from I-95.
This ordinance will allow for incentives to both existing and new businesses in order to create a larger amount of tourism and commerce in the area.
The ordinance will include local incentives, which will be put into place in order to attract a chain restaurant to the area. Currently, there is no sit-down, chain restaurant in the area, which the board believes will bring more travelers off the exit and into the area.
Currently there are a number of hotels in the exit 45 area, including the Days Inn, the Howard Johnson Inn, Comfort Inn, Holiday Inn Express, Hampton Inn and the Quality Inn. Additional businesses in the area include a Cash Depot, Lighthouse Seafood, and Nanny’s Restaurant.
The board of supervisors also approved the 2014-2015 annual fiscal year budget. Although the budget was approved, funds cannot be allocated due to the Virginia state budget still pending in the general assembly.
