10/10/2005 Council Packet - Laserfiche WebLink

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AGENDA ITEM 6 B STAFF ORIGINATOR: Jeff Smyser C. C. MEETING DATE: October 10, 2005 TOPIC: Second Reading: Ordinance No. 05 -05 Sign Ordinance Amendments VOTE: 3/5 BACKGROUND The City Council approved the first reading of this ordinance on August 22nd. Signage is always an extremely difficult issue. As with any regulation, there will be those who will not agree with a signage requirement. The goal of signage regulation, like any government regulation, is to balance the private interest and the larger public interest. Signage advertises a business, which is good for the business. Successful business is good for the greater public. However, unregulated signage can become an eyesore and a nuisance, which detracts from the good of the community. The P & Z discussed temporary signage at numerous meetings since early 2003 (see attached summary list). These discussions led to the proposed amendments in the attached draft ordinance. The current sign ordinance is Ord. No. 12 -97. Once adopted by the City Council, the new version will replace that ordinance. Deleted text is shown as strikeout, added text is underlined. ANALYSIS Temporary Signage Is Primary Issue: The primary changes in the draft ordinance relate to temporary signage. This is what drove the effort to examine the ordinance. These amendments were recommended by the P & Z. Sometimes, a change to one requirement required comparing to other pieces and checking definitions. This may have revealed confusing or contradictory language. There are a few changes in the text to help clarify some issues. We also have increased the amount of permanent wall signage allowed on double frontage or corner lots. The hope is that this will reduce the demand for temporary signs.