Memorandum

City of Lawrence

City Manager’s Office

TO:	Mayor and City Commission
FROM:	Mike Wildgen, City Manager
Date:	October 6, 2005
RE:	Revision requests to city sign ordinance

The attached request to revise the city sign code deals with balloons and temporary signs.

Section 5-702.1 (I) of the city code includes balloons in the definition of a sign, therefore balloons are regulated:

5-702.1       Sign.  A sign includes billboard or other device which displays or includes any letter, work, model, banner, flag, pennant, insignia, propeller, balloon, device or representation used as, or which is in the nature of an advertisement or announcement or which directs attention to an object, product, place, activity, person, institution, organization or business; but the term shall not include display of official notice nor flag, pennant, emblem or insignia of any nation or group of nations or of any state or political unit.

Balloons, not being fixed structures either free standing or wall mounted are regulated under the temporary sign section of the code.  Section 5-702.2 (W) defines temporary signs:

5-702.2       Sign, Temporary.  A sign, banner, valance, advertising display or special flag used for commercial or political promotion and constructed of cloth, canvas, light fabric, cardboard, wallboard or other light materials, with or without frames intended to be displayed for a specified short period of time only.

Temporary signs are further regulated in 5-733 (D) which includes “Duration of Permit” limits:

5-733          Duration of Permits.  No more than one permit for a temporary sign shall be authorized per year for erection and maintenance of such signs for any business commercial establishment, multi-shop commercial area, or industrial development.  No temporary sign permit shall be authorized for a period exceeding thirty (30) days.

Related information:

• The Sign Code Board of Appeals considered a proposal related to the length of temporary sign permits in June 2005.  The minutes related to that issue are attached.

The reference in the attached letter to special “permission of use” needs to be clarified.   

Section 5-721 does allow pennants used in connection with real estate “Open House” on the premise of the sale property.

5-721          MOVING AND FLASHING SIGNS PROHIBITED. 

No moving signs shall be permitted in any district except for pennants used in connection with real estate "Open House" and maintained for less than forty-eight (48) hours.  No flashing signs shall be permitted in any district except those signs which impart general information unrelated to the commercial enterprise involved, such as time and temperature signs, or message center displays. (Ord. 5085, Sec. 4)

Section 5-705.1 allows one temporary sign on private property off premise.  The “trailblazer” concept was allowed to discourage the illegal use of right of way and medians to direct traffic to properties.

5-705.1       TEMPORARY DIRECTIONAL YARD SIGNS IN RESIDENTIAL DISTRICTS.

No private signage shall be placed or maintained on public right-of-way or easements. In addition to other allowed signage, one (1) temporary directional sign may be placed on private property in residentially zoned districts, with the consent of the property owner, provided that: (Ord. 7372)

(A)  such sign shall not exceed four square feet in area per side and forty-two (42) inches in height; and

(B)  such sign shall remain in place only from 5 p.m. Friday until 5 p.m. Sunday; and

(C) such sign directs traffic to property in the residentially zoned district.

If the City Commission wishes to proceed with any amendments to the sign code, please give staff specific direction and a draft ordinance can be prepared.

Attachments:

Letter sent to car dealerships

Request for revision to sign ordinance

Sign Code Board of Appeals minutes