The subject of highway beautification and the use of land along the highway in a manner which would tend to interfere with natural scenic beauty or create unsightly conditions has engaged the attention of the General Assembly of Virginia from time to time for more than a quarter of a century. Legislation relating to outdoor advertising in view of public highways has been on the books since 1938, and, since 1958, the operations of automobile salvage yards within sight of the highways has been subject to restrictions.

At the 1964 regular session of the General Assembly strong efforts were made to increase the restrictions upon both of these land uses, and as a result the General Assembly adopted two resolutions dealing with the subject.

Because of the basic interrelation of these two resolutions, both dealing with restrictions on the use of lands bordering highways, the Council combined these two studies and selected Tom Frost, member of the House of Delegates and member of the Council, Warrenton, as Chairman, and Charles K. Hutchens, member of the House of Delegates and member of the Council, Newport News, as Vice-Chairman of a committee to make the initial study and report to it. Selected to serve with Messrs. Frost and Hutchens were the following: Russell M. Carneal, Williamsburg; William V. Daniel, Richmond; Lyman C. Harrell, Jr., Emporia; Mrs. Garland M. Harwood, Jr., Richmond; H. V. Kelly, Newport News; Gordon H. Lawhorn, Mechanicsville; Mrs. Harvey L. Lindsay, Norfolk; C. Harrison Mann, Jr., Arlington; Mrs. G. Edmond Massie, Jr., Richmond; Joseph A. Massie, Jr., Winchester; John L. Melnick, Arlington; Harold J. Neale, Richmond; Mrs. Raymond C. Power, Richmond; Leonard S. Trester, Madison; E. Walker Turner, Richmond; and S. H. Usry, Richmond.

The Committee assembled information concerning the statutes currently in effect and their efficacy, and proposals being made at the national level to deal with the same problems. It held a public hearing at which the views of those interested in these matters were solicited and received. It conferred with representatives of the federal Bureau of Public Roads who were informed concerning federal proposals dealing with these same subjects.

Following the adoption by the Congress of legislation dealing with these problems on a. nationwide basis the Committee concluded its study and made its report. The Council has carefully reviewed the report of the Committee, and now submits the following conclusions and recommendations.