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STAFF REPORT <br /> DATE: January 27, 1993 <br /> TO: Mayor and City Council <br /> FROM: David Mark Urbia, Management Assistant <br /> ITEM: SIGN ORDINANCE -- AMORTIZATION <br /> BACKGROUND <br /> The Planning Commission has studied the possibility of amending the sign ordinane in order <br /> to have an amortization provision. The City Attorney has provided information that suggests <br /> requiring amortization of non-conforming signs is legal. The City will have to establish some <br /> valid reason for the restriction and include this reason in the ordinance. In addition, a <br /> reasonable time period, at least ten years, is also necessary so to not take the use of a sign <br /> from an owner prematurely. The Planning Commission, with a 7-0 vote, recommends to the <br /> City Council to amend the sign ordinance to provide for a ten year amortization period for <br /> legal nonconforming signs. <br /> • RECOMMENDATION <br /> Staff recommends against amortization for the following reasons: (1). The provision, if <br /> adopted, will not take place until 2003; (2) A significant majority of those "legal conforming" <br /> signs will be replaced by the private sector anyway; (3) There could be legal challenges to <br /> this provision in 2003, and the staff and City Council at that time will wonder what our <br /> intent was today, in 1993; (4) The few "legal nonconforming" signs of today are not of a <br /> significant detriment; and (5) This is excessive ordinance language that will have no positive <br /> impact anytime soon. <br />