City council looks at reducing signage fees for businesses
Atascadero City Council.
City considering reducing signage fees up to 90-percent
–The Atascadero City Council discussed ways that they could improve the city’s signage strategy at their Tuesday night meeting. The strategy, updates and direction of Atascadero signage is handled by the Community Developments Director Phil Dunsmore and assistant planner Alfredo Castillo. Castillo gave an in-depth presentation outlining signage in Atascadero.
The city says it is trying to accommodate businesses and the public on signage, but there are many specifics involved. Specifications of signage is crucial to the success of businesses. The city is considering reducing fees for signs to $50, a 90-percent reduction to business owners. Another suggestion is the online purchase of permits, making it easier for business owners to accommodate the city in its quest to uphold signage requirements. There were over 400 hours of staff time invested in visiting businesses, inspecting proper display of signs and the position, for instance, removing signs that block right of way for pedestrians walking or signs that inflict traffic with disruptive obstacles.
Staff suggested that the city of Atascadero can help business owners in these areas regarding signage:
- Cost of signage permits
- Easing confusion on what signage is allowed and what is not
- Limitations of city codes for multi-tenant centers on deep lots.
Some challenges include poor visibility of signage if business owners do not conform to ordinance, and the inability to work with property owners not willing to work with the city. Castillo pointed out that the ordinances concerning signs has not been changed since 1991 and perhaps it’s time to take a look at that and put the course on a new path, a new direction, one beneficial for the public and the city.
Castillo said that with proper cooperation, the city could:
- Treat all signs equally
- Remove arbitrary signage
- Allow new types of signs
- Eliminate ROW signs ( right of way)
- Prohibit feather flags
- Prohibit LED signage or electric signs
Castillo was singularly praised by all council members as having been particularly astute in his aggressive work to clean up the city’s poor and obstructive and negative signage.
The motion for continuation of discussion and cleaning up of poor signage was approved and the motion passed.
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