Business Owners Speak at City Sign Ordinance Hearing
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
The business owners had the opportunity to provide input on the proposal to plan commission members, City Planner Jeremy Skinner, Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer and Assistant City Planner Tim Dombrosky.
Skinner said the city’s current sign ordinance is poorly written and hard to enforce because there are different interpretations.
“Sign compliance and enforcement is important when everyone knows the rules and it is easier to comply and easier to enforce,” Thallemer said.
The commission at its April meeting had discussion on the ordinance.
The plan commission will need to provide recommendations to Warsaw City Council on the sign ordinance update.
The commission will hold another public hearing for the sign ordinance June 11 at 7 p.m. at city hall.
The ordinance states all signs erected in the city must require a permit from the Warsaw Planning Office.
All signs must be constructed, connected, operated and maintained according to the provisions of the Uniform Building Code and the electrical code for the city.
Temporary signs are permitted provided that advertising material complies with the provisions of the Warsaw zoning code, and a temporary sign must not exceed one-half the display area of a permitted permanent sign.
Prohibited signs are those that bear words, phrases, symbols, colors or characteristics which may mislead, interfere with or confuse traffic.
Signs also prohibited are those that are erected or attached to any sidewalk, street, tree lawn, curb, curbstone, hydrant, lamp post, telephone or utility pole.
Temporary signs are allowed and must not exceed a total of 90 days of use per business in any one calendar year.
Jeff Grose, commission member, asked what the business owners’ thoughts on the 90-day limit for temporary signs are.
“We are looking for balance in what we want the community to look like and how we can promote business activity,” Grose said.
Tony Miller, owner of Kosciusko Family Massage, said he supports the 90-day period for temporary signs.
“I think it’s a good thing and if you leave the sign out for six months it becomes a permanent sign and you lose curb appeal,” Miller said.
Jon Blackwood, JB’s Furniture owner, said he sees the 90-day temporary sign rule as regulating.
“I see it as a regulation for signage for outdoor advertising to regulate the amount of time a temporary sign can be up,” Blackwood said.
Blackwood said his business has a banner advertising Tempur-Pedic Mattresses and it is his most important avenue for advertising to get customers to come in the door.
Tom Skaggs, Blossers Photography owner, said the city not allowing sidewalk signs outside the city limits is a concern of his.
He said last year he displayed the sign and he received a lot of business when he advertised that the business does photo mugs.
Jonathan Goss, Walgreen owner, said he had concerns with only allowing one temporary sign when his business has four frontage roads.
He also said he had concern with the 90-day temporary sign limit.
“I find the 90-day period for temporary signs to be cumbersome when we have flu shot banners and the flu shots are offered and need to be advertised longer than 90 days,” Goss said.
Dennis Kostro, Chicago Dog House owner, said he sells hot dogs and cannot afford to put up a $5,000 or $10,000 sign advertising his business.
“My building sets back and I put up permanent signs on my building and customers say they can’t see my business until they go by and have to make a U-turn to come back,” Kostro said.
Gregory Cobb, Freedom Oil owner, said he feels businesses are not being equally reprimanded for not abiding by the city’s sign ordinance.
“We put a cigarette sign up and another store has six cigarette signs on their canopy,” Cobb said. “What bothers me is the big boys can do more than I can and that gives them the competitive advantage.”
Skinner said the city will review the comments made from the business owners and take them into consideration when updating the city’s sign ordinance.
Mike Klondaris, commission member, said the commission wants to do what works best for the businesses and the city and work together to update the city’s sign ordinance.
Bruce Woodward, Woodward Realty, said he feels the Center Street overlay district needs to be addressed for signage because he described Center Street as a gateway to the community.[[In-content Ad]]
The business owners had the opportunity to provide input on the proposal to plan commission members, City Planner Jeremy Skinner, Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer and Assistant City Planner Tim Dombrosky.
Skinner said the city’s current sign ordinance is poorly written and hard to enforce because there are different interpretations.
“Sign compliance and enforcement is important when everyone knows the rules and it is easier to comply and easier to enforce,” Thallemer said.
The commission at its April meeting had discussion on the ordinance.
The plan commission will need to provide recommendations to Warsaw City Council on the sign ordinance update.
The commission will hold another public hearing for the sign ordinance June 11 at 7 p.m. at city hall.
The ordinance states all signs erected in the city must require a permit from the Warsaw Planning Office.
All signs must be constructed, connected, operated and maintained according to the provisions of the Uniform Building Code and the electrical code for the city.
Temporary signs are permitted provided that advertising material complies with the provisions of the Warsaw zoning code, and a temporary sign must not exceed one-half the display area of a permitted permanent sign.
Prohibited signs are those that bear words, phrases, symbols, colors or characteristics which may mislead, interfere with or confuse traffic.
Signs also prohibited are those that are erected or attached to any sidewalk, street, tree lawn, curb, curbstone, hydrant, lamp post, telephone or utility pole.
Temporary signs are allowed and must not exceed a total of 90 days of use per business in any one calendar year.
Jeff Grose, commission member, asked what the business owners’ thoughts on the 90-day limit for temporary signs are.
“We are looking for balance in what we want the community to look like and how we can promote business activity,” Grose said.
Tony Miller, owner of Kosciusko Family Massage, said he supports the 90-day period for temporary signs.
“I think it’s a good thing and if you leave the sign out for six months it becomes a permanent sign and you lose curb appeal,” Miller said.
Jon Blackwood, JB’s Furniture owner, said he sees the 90-day temporary sign rule as regulating.
“I see it as a regulation for signage for outdoor advertising to regulate the amount of time a temporary sign can be up,” Blackwood said.
Blackwood said his business has a banner advertising Tempur-Pedic Mattresses and it is his most important avenue for advertising to get customers to come in the door.
Tom Skaggs, Blossers Photography owner, said the city not allowing sidewalk signs outside the city limits is a concern of his.
He said last year he displayed the sign and he received a lot of business when he advertised that the business does photo mugs.
Jonathan Goss, Walgreen owner, said he had concerns with only allowing one temporary sign when his business has four frontage roads.
He also said he had concern with the 90-day temporary sign limit.
“I find the 90-day period for temporary signs to be cumbersome when we have flu shot banners and the flu shots are offered and need to be advertised longer than 90 days,” Goss said.
Dennis Kostro, Chicago Dog House owner, said he sells hot dogs and cannot afford to put up a $5,000 or $10,000 sign advertising his business.
“My building sets back and I put up permanent signs on my building and customers say they can’t see my business until they go by and have to make a U-turn to come back,” Kostro said.
Gregory Cobb, Freedom Oil owner, said he feels businesses are not being equally reprimanded for not abiding by the city’s sign ordinance.
“We put a cigarette sign up and another store has six cigarette signs on their canopy,” Cobb said. “What bothers me is the big boys can do more than I can and that gives them the competitive advantage.”
Skinner said the city will review the comments made from the business owners and take them into consideration when updating the city’s sign ordinance.
Mike Klondaris, commission member, said the commission wants to do what works best for the businesses and the city and work together to update the city’s sign ordinance.
Bruce Woodward, Woodward Realty, said he feels the Center Street overlay district needs to be addressed for signage because he described Center Street as a gateway to the community.[[In-content Ad]]
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