Politics & Government

Arlington Citizens Discuss Concerns at Sign Ordinance Public Forum

The Zoning Committee of the Planning Commission held a public forum to discuss changes in the current sign ordinance.

Arlington citizens gathered for a Zoning Committee of the Planning Commission Public Forum last night at Washington-Lee High School to discuss the possible new sign ordinance. 

The attendees broke up into small groups, led by members of the Planning Commission, to talk about a new proposed sign ordinance and the current county sign ordinance. The new proposal would potentially allow for signs to be approved by county administrative staff, whereas the current ordinance requires all signs to be approved by the County Board.

In addition, the new ordinance would likely make changes to current guidelines to allow for more creativity on business signs.

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“I think there are two issues that are big, one of them is the extent to which we will be able to streamline our process and make it easier for those who's businesses depend on posting signs to do that within reason, and the second issue is the extent to which we will make a wider array of signs able to be placed in the public realm, or not,” said commissioner Steve Cole.

After three breakout sessions, each group summarized their discussions to the rest of the room. Most groups stated that a top priority was that the permit process for signs must be simplified, but another common issue was not having enough details yet about the new proposed ordinance to form opinions about specific topics. Another widely stated concern was having non-elected, county staff members having complete control over approving new signs. Each group agreed that simplifying the process was necessary, but they were not ready to give up all rights to appeal to the County Board about signs.

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Another big issue that came up was right-of-way signs (such as political and real estate signs placed in the road medium), and all the groups were largely undecided about them. Currently, most right-of-way signs are only allowed on display from sundown Friday to sundown Sunday, but the groups agreed that the clean up is hard to regulate and the types of signs could become out of control.

One citizen, known by the county for his angst against signs, Bernie Berne, clearly expressed his feelings that all right-of-way signs should be banned. Other citizens said they didn’t mind the real estate signs on the weekends as long as they’re picked up on time.

Berne also took up issue with sandwich board signs. Sandwich board signs are signs placed on sidewalks outside of businesses, they are often “A-shaped,” chalk board signs. The general consensus from each of the groups was that as long as there is six feet of sidewalk for passing near the sign, they weren’t bothered by sandwich board signs. Many citizens also noted that they like sandwich board signs and that they bring charm to Arlington’s streets.

Lighted and rooftop signs also brought some controversy to the groups, with each group saying they’d like more information on how these issues will be addressed in the new ordinance. How long the lights stay on, how bright they are during different times of day, and whether or not they face a residential area were all issues discussed.

The new ordinance suggests that the illumination levels of such signs be controlled, and that they may not be lit between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m. Many of the groups commented that 10 p.m. might be too early to turn off the signs, and it would also depend on the business. (For example, way-finding signs for hotels and hospitals would probably need to follow different guidelines.)  

The one topic that almost everyone agreed on was umbrella signs. “The more the merrier!” one group said of umbrella signs in their wrap-up.

“I think the best thing that was accomplished was that we heard a wide range of views, that will really help inform the process for improving the sign ordinance in Arlington,” Cole said. 

A new draft of the potential ordinance is expected to be released this week, but will not yet include the opinions expressed at last night's forum, staff member Debbie Albert said. Other forums and focus group outreach times will be held through September and October, and the Planning Commission is expected to consider the revised ordinance on Nov. 7, and the County Board will review it on Nov. 19. 


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