2444 ARTICLE 56

1931, ch. 324, sec. 277.

335. Every person, firm or corporation hereafter desiring to erect or
maintain billboards or other structures, signs, posters or display advertis-
ing of any kind whatsoever, outside of the corporate limits of any city,
town or village, and within five hundred (500) feet of a public highway
of the State of Maryland, shall file with the State Roads Commission the
following information, data and plats concerning and explaining the pro-
posed location of any such billboards, or other structures, signs, posters or
other display advertising:

(a) A statement signed by the applicant naming the county, election
district, and the approximate distance from the nearest town, village or
city where the billboards or other structures, signs, posters or other ad-
vertising displays are proposed to be placed and stating whether or not the
proposed location is within a district over which the Legislature has granted
to any board or body the power to create zoning areas and if said proposed
location be within any such district, the name of such district.

(b) The dimensions and the area in square feet of advertising surface
on each of said billboards or other structures, signs, posters or other dis-
play advertising, the height of such advertisement from the ground, the
material used in its construction and the distance from the nearest public
highway. The area of any such advertisement shall comprise the number
of square feet contained within a line drawn around the outer edge of the
advertising matter and pictorial design displayed.

(c) A plat which shall satisfy the State Roads Commission that it shows
accurately:

(1) The proposed location of said billboard or other structure, sign,
poster or display advertising with reference to the location of any State
highway within a radius of five hundred (500) feet of such proposed
advertisement.

(2) The location of the boundaries of any such State highway or high-
ways.

(3) The relative location of any intersection or intersections at grade
of any such highway or highways with any railroad or street railway.

(d) Any additional plats, information or data deemed necessary by the
State Roads Commission to determine whether the construction or erec-
tion of said structure or advertisement would injuriously affect the safety
of public travel on State highways by dangerously obstructing the clear
view, of the highway by one operating a motor vehicle thereon.

Upon receiving from the applicant the information, plats and data here-
inbefore in this section designated the State Roads Commission shall issue
for the next calendar year the permit applied for upon payment by the
applicant to the State Roads Commission of a fee for the use of the State
equal to the sum of one-half of one cent (1/2 of 1 ct.) for each square foot
of the surface used or to be used for such purpose, provided that no such
permit shall be issued by the State Roads Commission, if the maintenance,
construction or erection of such advertisement would injuriously affect
the safety of public travel on State highways by dangerously obstructing
the clear view of the highway by one operating a motor vehicle thereon,
and provided further that nothing herein contained shall be construed to
confer upon the State Roads Commission the power to issue any such
permits for the maintenance, construction or erection of any such adver-
tisement within any area over which the General Assembly of Maryland