posted September 19, 2001 10:36 AM
Here's a topic I'd like some help with. Our city of 4000 does not have a sign ordinance. In 1999 I was asked to participate on a committee to draft a code. Members of the committee included city staff (2), along with local business owners and 3 sign people, I fell into the business owner and sign people category. The group had met prior to my being asked to join and when I arrived it was obvious that the original thought was that they would have a meeting or two, write something up and that would be all that there was to it. The staff had provided members of the group with disposable cameras and asked them to go out and take some pictures of signs they liked and signs they did not like… then come back to the group with explanations of the choices made.
I thought it was kind of interesting that many of the individuals had taken pictures of the same area signs. One person liked a particular sign when another considered it an atrocity. Personalities clashed a bit.
I did not hear anything about materials used, type of sign, size of sign compared to front of building, close proximity to intersections or anything else that made any sense. One of the main concerns was that they wanted to maintain a "similar" look in the historic district (downtown area) while confining everyone that had a business on the fringe or outside areas of town to have a "monument" (what I would consider to be a low profile) sign.
I had attended three meetings when the city administrator had a child. After that, the group was never called up again, and the sign ordinance has never been written. In the mean time, I guess that someone thought that there should be SOME kind of restrictions so they came up with this: ANY sign 32 square feet and over needs to be approved by the planning commission. ANY sign over 10 feet off the ground must be approved by the planning commission.
The additional rub here is that all new building sites after 1997 required a site review and approval by the planning commission… the fee for this is $300.00. There are now 4 instances where a builder has a project approved (and these projects all have had the location of a sign listed on the specs) only to have to come back to the planning commission to have a sign approved for an additional $300.00. I recently had a customer who put up a sign where the cost of the sign was $285.00 and the approval was an additional $300.00. Sounds like a good way for the city to make a buck or two or three hundred!
So, this is the situation. I need to go in there and explain the pros and cons of an ordinance and I'm looking for those of you that possess great wisdom to share some with me.
Thanks to all!
-------------------- Jeff Vrstal Main Street Signs 157 E. Main Street Evansville, WI 53536 1-608-882-0322
I feel your pain. I went throught the same thing about 6 or 8 years ago.
Here are some options/information that you may find helpful....
1) Contact the surrounding towns and ask for a copy of their sign ordinance. Use them to pull together one of you own.
2) Contact the folks at the International Sign Association (ISA). They have a lot of experience in this area. www.signs.org
3) There is also a "template" ordinance that I think you can find on the web. Our town used it in the beginning when they first began requiring permits. I'd find it for you, but I don't have my seach program on this computer. If I think of it when I get home tonight, I'll try to find the ordinance for you. Its been a while.
If you have anything specific, feel free to contact me. I'll be glad to help in any way I can.
posted September 19, 2001 12:18 PM
Hi Jeff..if your a member of the US Sign Council they have a model ordinance which gives you a basic layout of what an ordinance should be dealing with. I don't know if you have to be a member to get this info so you might log on or call them.
Dave
-------------------- Dave Ginley Ace of Signs Selinsgrove, Pa. www.aceofsigns.com
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