By NEAL WAGNER / City Editor

A pair of long-outdated restaurant signs towering over Alabama 119 in Pelham have now come down for good.

A Shoney’s restaurant sign, which formerly stood off Driver’s Way next to the Interstate 65 southbound off-ramp, and an Ezell’s Fish Camp sign formerly towering above Bishop Circle were taken down over the past few weeks.

Though the restaurant has long been closed, the large Shoney’s sign stood off Drivers Way for many years. The Shoney’s building was demolished several years ago, and its lot now houses Burger King.

The city also is working to address the large Ezell’s Fish Camp sign on Bishop Circle. The Ezell’s Fish Camp building has been vacant since the restaurant closed in 2009.

Ezell’s moved to Calera from Pelham, and restaurant owners previously were considering moving the Pelham Ezell’s sign to the Calera location, according to Pelham Mayor Gary Waters.

During a July Pelham Business Council meeting, Waters said the city had to take several steps to remove the outdated signs, including identifying the property owner, determining if the sign could be considered irrelevant and then giving the property owner 90 days to either remove the sign or make it relevant.

Because the pair of signs advertised business no longer operating in Pelham, Waters said he received several complaints from current Pelham business owners before the signs were taken down.

After the old restaurant signs were taken down, a new electronic billboard was installed near the Waffle House restaurant off State Park Road. Through an agreement with the city, the billboard will regularly advertise events at the Pelham Civic Complex and the Oak Mountain Amphitheater.