A set of three billboards that have been the source of complaints for decades are no more. A crew from Clear Channel was out at the site, at the intersection of 4th and P streets and New Jersey Ave. NW, this morning take down the large signs.

Neighbors have long complained that the billboards allowed the perfect cover for illegal activity, and local activists launched a campaign to get them removed. The city eventually found that Clear Channel did not hold the proper permits for the billboards, and moved to force their removal, but the company filed a lawsuit over the issue in October, delaying any action. On Dec. 2, the Department of Consumer and Regulatory Affairs issued emergency regulations amending the city codes dealing with billboards, and today, the signs finally came down. You can read more about the saga of these billboards from the Bates Area Civic Association blog.

All three billboards are already down and are being loaded onto trucks. Clear Channel has until Dec. 31 to remove the large steel beams that held them, according to DCRA spokesperson Michael Rupert.