City Planners Hold Third Sign Ordinance Hearing
July 28, 2016 at 4:25 p.m.
By Jennifer [email protected]
A fourth sign ordinance hearing is set for the Aug. 13 plan commission meeting at 7 p.m. at city hall.
The chamber’s government issues committee also will review the sign ordinance.
Warsaw City Council will need to review a recommendation for the sign ordinance from the plan commission.
After another plan commission hearing, the city council will hold a sign ordinance hearing.
Kosciusko Silent No More previously held a meeting with Jeremy Skinner, city planner, to discuss the city sign ordinance at New Life Christian Church.
Approximately 50 people attended the nearly two-hour meeting Monday night at city hall.
Attendees included business owners, local residents and Kosciusko Silent No More members.
Jeff Grose, commission member, said the commission is an advisory committee that will make recommendations to the city council.
Jerry Opperud, Warsaw, said he wondered what brought the city to the point of the sign issue.
“I thing we are making a mountain out of a mole hill, crossing too many t’s and dotting too many i’s and I wonder in the course of this where common sense might prevail,” Opperud said.
Skinner said the majority of the reason why the meeting was held is the current sign ordinance that was last updated in 1998 was not clear.
“We are giving businesses more flexibility in things they can do as opposed to what the existing ordinance doesn’t allow them to do,” Skinner said.
He said the goal is to make the ordinance more user-friendly.
Rick Keeven, commission member, said the point of updating the ordinance is to develop a community standard that everyone has a chance to provide input on.
“We will enforce and not make exceptions because we have community standards established to enforce the ordinance fairly across the board,” Keeven said.
Tom Allen, board president, said the current zoning ordinance is contradictory and no one knew what to do to enforce and implement signage laws because it is outdated.
Skinner said he feels the city has developed a concise sign ordinance that goes specifically by zoning districts so anyone can see what signs are allowed in each zoning district.
Craig Nayrocker, Warsaw resident, thanked the city for working on the sign ordinance.
“It’s a definite improvement for the changes that have been made,” Nayrocker said.
Jim Heierman, Silent No More co-founder, thanked the city for being receptive to residents’ concerns on the sign ordinance.
“I think it’s important to have a vision for Warsaw of where we are going and what we want Warsaw to be,” Heierman said.
Joni Truex, executive director of Builders Association of Kosciusko-Fulton County, said she appreciated the city allowing 14 days after construction for construction signs to be displayed. However, she requested 30 days after completion of construction for signs to be displayed.
“When someone is building a home during the construction process there is not curb appeal, but when the home is complete builders have a viable product to show people,” Truex said.
Skinner said he did not have a problem with considering construction signs to be allowed for more than 14 days.
Wes Stouder, Warsaw, wondered about rules on walking signs and banners attached to buildings.
Human signs are under moving signs, which the ordinance permits, and banners are permitted under temporary signs that are allowed for 120 days per year with a $15 permit.
Walking signs are not permitted, but Skinner said the city will deal with the signs as a safety issue.
The exception will be charity and fundraising events that will allow people to hold signs for such events as car washes and chicken sales.
“The city will not actively chase cardboard signs, but will enforce the walking signs if we receive complaints,” Skinner said.
“If you want to dress up like a clown and have someone open the door for customers and walk in the parking lot handing out cookies, who the heck cares,” Jim Gast, commission member said. “But stand on the corner of Main and Detroit street with a hamburger sign over traffic there is a safety issue.”
Monica Boyer, Kosciusko Silent No More co-founder, said it sounds like the city is picking and choosing who to allow to have walking signs.
She did thank Skinner for attending the Silent No More meeting to hear residents’ concerns on the sign ordinance.
“Wally might be OK one day and Ronald McDonald might have a walking sign the next day, it’s either illegal or not,” Boyer said.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said he sees the sign ordinance as protecting local merchants against itinerant merchants who come into the community and don’t pay taxes.
“Keeping human signs out of the city is another protection,” Thallemer said.
Jim Breading, Warsaw resident who owns two downtown Warsaw businesses, said he had concerns with the city only allowing a 32-square-foot sign to advertise downtown businesses.
Breading suggested at least a 48-square-foot sign would be more appropriate.
“You put your business name with 32 square feet it looks huge on the ground, but when you put it in the air it is hard to read,” Breading said.
“You are asking us to compete with the big box stores, from what I can tell have no limit on their size of signs, and we local merchants are trying to compete with the big guys and have to put down little bitty signs,” Breading said.
Breading suggested people look at the city’s 1957 Centennial video.
“Looking down Center Street in the video you could tell who was in business by their sign, now you look down Center Street and all you see is a bunch of nice trees and have no clue who’s doing business,” Breading said.
Allen said the city wil take the square footage for businesses under advisement.
James Bausch, Warsaw, said he felt businesses that are run out of homes should be allowed signs advertising their businesses.
Skinner said home occupations are a special exception within the zoning ordinance and are allowed a 1-square-foot sign.
The zoning ordinance allows people to come before the Board of Zoning Appeals to request home occupations.[[In-content Ad]]City Sign Ordinance Existing and Proposed Changes
- City will continue to work on revising the purpose and mission statement for the proposed sign ordinance changes.
- City has included window sign allowance increasing it from 25 percent to 40 percent window coverage on all windows combined.
- City removed “pliable material” from temporary sign definition. This allows all types of material to be used for a permanent sign as long as it is placed on and secured with a permanent structure.
- Removed “roof sign and portable sign” from prohibited signs.
- Will rework some additional language concerning prohibited signs.
- Allow non-helium-filled balloons for businesses whose primary business is conducted outside as well as reduced setback for streamers, banner and flags to 5 feet from right of way.
- The sign ordinance will allow, without permits, public information signs and seasonal decorations and displays.
- Allow an additional 14 days after construction is completed for construction signs to be displayed.
- Allow an additional real estate sign for properties with multiple fonts, including waterways as public right of ways.
- Adjust language stating off-premise signs not allowed unless currently grandfathered or constructed prior to May 2001.
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A fourth sign ordinance hearing is set for the Aug. 13 plan commission meeting at 7 p.m. at city hall.
The chamber’s government issues committee also will review the sign ordinance.
Warsaw City Council will need to review a recommendation for the sign ordinance from the plan commission.
After another plan commission hearing, the city council will hold a sign ordinance hearing.
Kosciusko Silent No More previously held a meeting with Jeremy Skinner, city planner, to discuss the city sign ordinance at New Life Christian Church.
Approximately 50 people attended the nearly two-hour meeting Monday night at city hall.
Attendees included business owners, local residents and Kosciusko Silent No More members.
Jeff Grose, commission member, said the commission is an advisory committee that will make recommendations to the city council.
Jerry Opperud, Warsaw, said he wondered what brought the city to the point of the sign issue.
“I thing we are making a mountain out of a mole hill, crossing too many t’s and dotting too many i’s and I wonder in the course of this where common sense might prevail,” Opperud said.
Skinner said the majority of the reason why the meeting was held is the current sign ordinance that was last updated in 1998 was not clear.
“We are giving businesses more flexibility in things they can do as opposed to what the existing ordinance doesn’t allow them to do,” Skinner said.
He said the goal is to make the ordinance more user-friendly.
Rick Keeven, commission member, said the point of updating the ordinance is to develop a community standard that everyone has a chance to provide input on.
“We will enforce and not make exceptions because we have community standards established to enforce the ordinance fairly across the board,” Keeven said.
Tom Allen, board president, said the current zoning ordinance is contradictory and no one knew what to do to enforce and implement signage laws because it is outdated.
Skinner said he feels the city has developed a concise sign ordinance that goes specifically by zoning districts so anyone can see what signs are allowed in each zoning district.
Craig Nayrocker, Warsaw resident, thanked the city for working on the sign ordinance.
“It’s a definite improvement for the changes that have been made,” Nayrocker said.
Jim Heierman, Silent No More co-founder, thanked the city for being receptive to residents’ concerns on the sign ordinance.
“I think it’s important to have a vision for Warsaw of where we are going and what we want Warsaw to be,” Heierman said.
Joni Truex, executive director of Builders Association of Kosciusko-Fulton County, said she appreciated the city allowing 14 days after construction for construction signs to be displayed. However, she requested 30 days after completion of construction for signs to be displayed.
“When someone is building a home during the construction process there is not curb appeal, but when the home is complete builders have a viable product to show people,” Truex said.
Skinner said he did not have a problem with considering construction signs to be allowed for more than 14 days.
Wes Stouder, Warsaw, wondered about rules on walking signs and banners attached to buildings.
Human signs are under moving signs, which the ordinance permits, and banners are permitted under temporary signs that are allowed for 120 days per year with a $15 permit.
Walking signs are not permitted, but Skinner said the city will deal with the signs as a safety issue.
The exception will be charity and fundraising events that will allow people to hold signs for such events as car washes and chicken sales.
“The city will not actively chase cardboard signs, but will enforce the walking signs if we receive complaints,” Skinner said.
“If you want to dress up like a clown and have someone open the door for customers and walk in the parking lot handing out cookies, who the heck cares,” Jim Gast, commission member said. “But stand on the corner of Main and Detroit street with a hamburger sign over traffic there is a safety issue.”
Monica Boyer, Kosciusko Silent No More co-founder, said it sounds like the city is picking and choosing who to allow to have walking signs.
She did thank Skinner for attending the Silent No More meeting to hear residents’ concerns on the sign ordinance.
“Wally might be OK one day and Ronald McDonald might have a walking sign the next day, it’s either illegal or not,” Boyer said.
Warsaw Mayor Joe Thallemer said he sees the sign ordinance as protecting local merchants against itinerant merchants who come into the community and don’t pay taxes.
“Keeping human signs out of the city is another protection,” Thallemer said.
Jim Breading, Warsaw resident who owns two downtown Warsaw businesses, said he had concerns with the city only allowing a 32-square-foot sign to advertise downtown businesses.
Breading suggested at least a 48-square-foot sign would be more appropriate.
“You put your business name with 32 square feet it looks huge on the ground, but when you put it in the air it is hard to read,” Breading said.
“You are asking us to compete with the big box stores, from what I can tell have no limit on their size of signs, and we local merchants are trying to compete with the big guys and have to put down little bitty signs,” Breading said.
Breading suggested people look at the city’s 1957 Centennial video.
“Looking down Center Street in the video you could tell who was in business by their sign, now you look down Center Street and all you see is a bunch of nice trees and have no clue who’s doing business,” Breading said.
Allen said the city wil take the square footage for businesses under advisement.
James Bausch, Warsaw, said he felt businesses that are run out of homes should be allowed signs advertising their businesses.
Skinner said home occupations are a special exception within the zoning ordinance and are allowed a 1-square-foot sign.
The zoning ordinance allows people to come before the Board of Zoning Appeals to request home occupations.[[In-content Ad]]City Sign Ordinance Existing and Proposed Changes
- City will continue to work on revising the purpose and mission statement for the proposed sign ordinance changes.
- City has included window sign allowance increasing it from 25 percent to 40 percent window coverage on all windows combined.
- City removed “pliable material” from temporary sign definition. This allows all types of material to be used for a permanent sign as long as it is placed on and secured with a permanent structure.
- Removed “roof sign and portable sign” from prohibited signs.
- Will rework some additional language concerning prohibited signs.
- Allow non-helium-filled balloons for businesses whose primary business is conducted outside as well as reduced setback for streamers, banner and flags to 5 feet from right of way.
- The sign ordinance will allow, without permits, public information signs and seasonal decorations and displays.
- Allow an additional 14 days after construction is completed for construction signs to be displayed.
- Allow an additional real estate sign for properties with multiple fonts, including waterways as public right of ways.
- Adjust language stating off-premise signs not allowed unless currently grandfathered or constructed prior to May 2001.
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