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4, K1 ~� Y' Black MUIe k _ `•`4 " e.s q t LVERY UAY PM 100*PURE GAS0 ° - F I LOW PRICES suer BLAC� __ QUALITY UOUR ULI GAS r 'F WON OILS TVV US lops PURE '. Z'i _ .PURE AST SE Ana wisacxtcs Sign clutter is one of the biggest streetscape problems in many communities. In one case(top), clutter on an individual site is so bad that the building is"obliterated"by its own signage. In another(opposite page),signs overlap down the strip, making sign copy difficult, if not impossible, to read. extra freestanding sign if it contains only a logo or the name such noncommercial districts as industrial and agricultural of a business,with no advertising.Such a regulation creates zones,where barns and warehouses may have large sides not ridiculous distinctions;for example,it allows Joe's Beer Bar, needed or used for signage related to the businesses located which happens to have a beer stein as a logo, to deliver a there. Further limitations can be imposed by providing an message that neighboring Pam's Place, an indentical busi- additional limit on sign size as a percentage of building area, ness with a classy (but nonrepresentational) logo, cannot thus effectively prohibiting signs on vacant parcels;such va- place on the same kind of sign.Furthermore,it raises directly cant parcels should be permitted one sign of 20 or so square the difficulty of explaining,politically and legally,why the feet per tract or parcel in order to permit For Sale or political Joe's Beer Bar sign is more acceptable to the public than a signs. Pam's Sells Beer sign of the same size and design. Although such an approach will undoubtedly allow the Merchants with franchises or auto dealership agreements development of some creative off-premises advertising signs can often obtain logo signs relatively inexpensively, and (for example,a motel might convince a roadside gas station they argue that they should be allowed to erect those signs to give the motel half of its sign space as advertising space separately.Some franchise agreements actually require that to provide directions to the motel),all of the signs so devel- logo signs be on poles that do not contain other signs. Re- oped will fall within the limitations on sign size,location, quiring that George Smith,who sells pizza under a franchise, lighting, color, and design specified in the ordinance and choose between having the Podgorny Pizza logo sign and a thus should be entirely consistent with local aesthetic and sign saying "George Smith's Pizza Place," when Irene's traffic safety requirements. Pizzeria is allowed only one freestanding sign,seems entirely reasonable—however much George may want to have both ENFORCEMENT AND ADMINISTRATION his name and the franchise logo on poles in front of his busi- Enforcing and administering sign regulations is in some ness. The special treatment of logo signs is simply not ways more difficult than enforcing and administering zon- justified. ing regulations.Zoning administration is closely tied to the building permit process—anyone putting up a building in- Billboards forms public officials that he or she is doing so by applying The major objection to billboards is that they are very for a building permit.It is then easy to review the plans for large signs.Why many communities have stumbled into the the proposed construction to determine whether the building quagmire of regulating them as off-premises signs instead of will comply with applicable regulations and to track the con- banning large signs is a mystery. Clearly, the simplest ap- struction for conformance with approved plans. proach to billboard regulation is to ban large,freestanding In contrast,many types of signs in many communities do signs. Limiting the percentage of wall area that can be not require permits.Some types of signs that do require per- devoted to signs and limiting the absolute size of a wall sign mits may be erected by individual property owners or provides an effective limit on the use of buildings as tenants without complying with a permit process.Although billboards.Those limitations should be more restrictive in building inspectors are very likely to notice a new building 14