ENID — The city of Enid has been working on changes in the city sign ordinance as a way to improve the city’s appearance.
The new sign ordinance to be heard by Enid City Commission today does not affect any current signs, said Whitney Box, assistant city planner.
Among the main points of the ordinance are:
• Height of signs has been lowered from 35 feet to 30 feet, which Box said is industry standard.
• The electric code no longer allows wiring to hang from buildings. Box said that is both a safety and an appearance issue.
• Some changes in the ordinance language have not resulted in actual ordinance changes, but as a means of making the ordinance easier to read.
• Downtown stores are allowed A-frame style signs. Those signs previously were illegal, but since the downtown is a walkable area, they have been allowed in that area. Box said the David Allen Ballpark sign announcing a ball game is an A-frame sign. She also said restaurants downtown may want to post their menu on the signs. Those now are allowed only in the Enid downtown area.
• There are restrictions on the allowable area for signs. The signage restrictions will lower the number of new signs, which can’t total more than 200 feet of space.
Box said anyone who believes the ordinance does not fit them should contact the city’s board of adjustment to obtain a variance. Most of the sign permits are free and mostly for the purpose of tracking where signs are placed.
Businesses with a temporary event, such as a garage sale or business product sale, may obtain a special event permit. They may place a temporary sign as long as it will withstand wind gusts.
Through the ordinance, there are no signs allowed in public right of way and there also is a sight triangle that protects sight lines for traffic.
Automatic and changing signs are allowable, but Box said the ordinance is aimed at promoting message-type signs. The message must remain in place for at least five seconds. The primary reason for the code is to prevent traffic accidents.
Box emphasized the new code does not affect current signs. However, if a current sign is destroyed by some type of calamity, it must be rebuilt to new code standards.
If the owner of a business moves from the location, he must remove his sign. The structure which supports the sign may remain up to 180 days if another business goes in on that location, the new owners may use that sign structure, she said. However, if no business uses it by 180 days, the former owner must remove the structure.
“We’re not trying to be unfriendly to businesses, but we have to clean up the town,” Box said. “Hope-fully this gets us a step closer.”
Anyone with questions about the ordinance should contact Box at 616-7229.
[Read More...]