Fifty-three local residents attended a two-hour meeting Tuesday night on Warsaw’s sign ordinance proposal.
They had the opportunity to voice their concerns on the sign ordinance.
The meeting was put on by Kosciusko County Silent No More at New Life Christian Church.
Jeremy Skinner, city planner, attended Tuesday night’s meeting to speak about the sign ordinance Warsaw Plan Commission has been reviewing. Tim Dombrosky, Warsaw assistant city planner, also attended.
Warsaw City Council still needs to approve the city sign ordinance.
Warsaw Plan Commission held a sign ordinance public hearing June 12. The commission will have another public hearing at its July 9 meeting at 7 p.m. at city hall. Another public hearing will be at the Warsaw City Council meeting.
The city has not updated its sign ordinance since 1998.
“The main goal of the ordinance is not to restrict signs or decrease sign size, but to make it easier for business owners to understand the ordinance,” Skinner said.
In the ordinance, balloons are prohibited except for the occasion of promoting special events.
Also prohibited are inflatable signs, roof-mounted signs, moving signs and portable signs.
Digital signs will be permissible, but the lighting shall not be allowed to change more frequently than every 3 seconds. That is a revision from the initial ordinance that listed the time limit as 6 seconds.
Falling into the banned signs category are digital displays that create the illusion of movement.
Jeremiah Heierman, who owns a sign company that makes signs for Warsaw, said he took 473 photos of signs on Sunday in Warsaw that he felt may be in violation of the city’s sign ordinance.
He has been in the sign industry for the past 20 years.
Heierman said business owners have told him that the city has sent them letters after they have purchased banners that the city said cannot go up because they violate the city’s sign ordinance.
“I don’t want to single out businesses, but if the community has accepted these signs, these are signs we see everyday, and I am wondering if they are in violation,” Heierman said.
Heierman showed photos of banners at banks that have been displayed more than the 120-day allowance. He also showed signs that cover more than 25 percent of window coverage that the ordinance prohibits.
Skinner said the signs with the 25-percent coverage are grandfathered in, but if the sign ordinance is passed then signs that exceed the 25-percent window coverage would be in violation.
Heierman also showed photos of big trucks that advertise their businesses.
Skinner said if a truck or a trailer is used for advertising, and it is legally licensed by the state of Indiana, then the city cannot regulate the box truck.
Heierman also showed signs on wheels that are up for more than 120 days. Skinner said the signs comply as permanent signs on a foundation properly secured.
Dan Thystrup, North Webster, attended and asked if there is a permit needed for temporary signs. Skinner said there is a $15 fee required for each sign permit per calendar year.
Dave Wolkins, Winona Lake, asked what motivated the city to update the sign ordinance. He also asked about the duration of signs with scrolling text.
Skinner said the current sign ordinance allows for six seconds of scrolling text, and the new ordinance allows for three seconds of scrolling text.
“The main reason for what we are doing is to not restrict business, if anything we are making it easier for businesses to operate, allowing them temporary signs that are not allowed under the current sign ordinance,” Skinner said.
Mike Ragan, Warsaw, asked who will enforce the sign regulations.
Skinner said there is a municipal code and zoning ordinance. He said in the zoning ordinance it is the planning department’s responsibility to enforce the sign ordinance.
“I get a lot of sign complaint calls and that’s one of the reasons we are making changes because complaints are legitimate and hindering businesses’ ability to advertise,” Skinner said. “That’s something we want to correct, we want our businesses to be successful.”
Skinner said the community stands on residential, industrial and commercial zoning and if those fail that is an unsafe tripod.
Ragan asked why the city is putting priority on updating the sign ordinance over dilapidated buildings in the city such as the Gatke property.
“I would never advocate that the sign ordinance has more priority, they are both important,” Skinner said.
Joni Truex, executive director of Builders Association of Kosciusko-Fulton County, said she appreciated that not-for-profit groups and construction signs are not charged with the new sign ordinance.
The ordinance states construction signs shall be displayed only for the duration of the construction and not require a permit.
Truex suggested builders be allowed to have their sign at the construction site after the home is built.
“It makes sense to allow 30 days after construction for the builder to have their name out there. You make a valid argument,” Skinner said.
Craig Nayrocker and Anne Bonewitz, both of Warsaw, said they are more concerned with signs being used for safety than the aesthetics of the signs.
Larry Rensberger, Syracuse, said what sign rules are made in Warsaw will affect the surrounding county.
“We want less bureaucracy, not more,” Rensberger said.
Monica Boyer, Warsaw resident and Kosciusko County Silent No More co-founder, asked about the use of pornographic signs such as stores that display adult video signs.
“The city has had conversations that the rules are not restrictive enough and the current sign regulations could be stricter,” Skinner said.
Boyer said she thought there is a fine line between freedom, which is what the Silent No More Group stands for, and things that need to be regulated.
