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ry . 'l�ir.• f 4 1 Ak f y FLAGS,BANNERS, AND PENNANTS y Flags, banners, and pennants present unique and troublesome issues for sign regulation.Twenty years ago, many communities cheerfully allowed flapping pennants of the kind found on some used car lots, permitted flags as fi f patriotic,and disregarded the issue of banners.Today,some .01 ` auto dealers and other merchants use"garrison flags"that „i t + may be 30 by 60 feet on 80-foot poles to attract attention, ' .;2' •<ti. while arts groups use banners to promote activity at downtown centers;only pennants have not changed much. Flags No community wants to be unpatriotic.Prohibiting the legitimate display of U.S.,state,or other official flags would be lunacy and would probably violate the First Amendment. However, there is little that is patriotic in the motives of :? many who display mammoth flags far above their ° businesses on busy commercial strips.Furthermore,many ■ a r1 c .A r T } organizations,such as fraternal lodges,and some businesses •o b 1ii +� + have their own flags,which are sometimes displayed in lieu AM TO ,� ;:{� of or in addition to signs. A rational approach to the regulation of flags should do several things:limit flagpole height to the maximum height of a permitted sign in the same location;treat flags other than U.S., state,and municipal flags as signs that are subject to total sign area limitations;and limit flag sizes.One commu- nity exempts only U.S.,state,and local flags flown between ;x sunrise and sunset from regulation. v Banners Many local sign regulations prohibit banner,which were once most commonly used as supplemental, temporary signs with such messages as"Big Sale"or"Picnic Supplies Here." Today, many arts groups and some cities, civic groups, and commercial organizations use artistic and #' decorative banners,often with no specific message,to give f a festive appearance to a plaza,street,mall,or other public or quasi-public space. There are several possible approaches to regulating ban- ? ners.One is certainly a ban,although such a ban should be carefully considered in light of the possible uses just outlined. Another approach is to allow banners only as temporary signs on public property when they promote events of general civic interest,subject to a special permitting process. Such an approach creates some legal hazards, which are discussed in Chapter 2,but it is one that often best responds to the real desires of a community.One local sign regulation R .r expressly allows banners that are attached top and bottom (or two sides)to permanent structural members on a post or building erected for another purpose,provided that the ban- ners have no logo or message on them.That rule allows the attachment of decorative banners to lightpoles and buildings but precludes their use as signs. Pennants Prohibiting flapping pennants is simple and logical,if pen- This enormous clown rivals its large hotel in height. Although it would be prohibited in many communities, it is an important part of the streetscape in Reno. ' 11