[MissoulaGov] Committee Update 1-14-09

[Janet Donahue]

As a former director of OPG (then Office of Community Development) in the early 90's, the sign ordinance at that time didn't allow electronic change signs.  As the CAO at the city (from 1995 to 2005) I don't recall a change in the ordinance that allowed those kinds of signs.  Many of us must have been asleep at the wheel!

Janet Donahue



From: geoffb at ism.net
To: johntorma at yahoo.com; BJaffe at ci.missoula.mt.us; missoulagov at cmslists.com
Date: Thu, 15 Jan 2009 08:43:33 -0700
Subject: Re: [MissoulaGov] Committee Update 1-14-09



















Like John, I am a veteran of the sign
regulatory efforts of the 80’s, and likewise bewildered by what happened
between then and now to allow signs I thought were prohibited.

 

One principle I remember from the work
that was done back then is that signage is like an arms race:  whoever has
the latest/biggest/brightest/most attractive sign had to be matched or bested
by other businesses to attract attention.  Communities that keep an
effective lid on this issue provide an even playing field for all businesses
and relieve the escalation factor.  Quality and creativity become the
desired signage outcomes as opposed to size, brightness, movement, etc.  I
have never opposed signage for businesses because I know it is essential for
consumer information and way-finding. On the other hand, it is foolish to allow
the community’s aesthetic qualities to be visually assaulted by a system
of regulation that does not control the signage arms race. This is a question
of enforcement, probably, so unless we are serious about that, the
policy-making behind regulating signs is pointless. 

 

With respect to the pixilated LED signs we
see more and more of these days, I personally think they are a bit
jarring.  I supported the restoration of the historic Wilma sign, for
example, but I have very mixed feelings about the bright red information sign
at its base.  I like the information—it’s helpful to the
public.  On the other hand, hiking on Waterworks Hill the other day I
believe I could see the red from there and that was a shock.  There are
other red LED signs Downtown that are simply grotesque in their size and
brightness.  Rather than attract me to those businesses, I find I am
repelled.

 

Finally, whatever regulations are put in
place, the Council should allow for the certainty that sign technology is going
to take the next leap forward tomorro.  Those pixilated LED signs of today
are soon going to become relics like black and white TV’s and the monochrome
computer monitors we used back in the ‘80’s. Any business that has
one today already has one foot in the grave of sign obsolescence.  Something
else, something “better,” is going to be introduced to replace them.
For that reason, I think it behooves the Council to help the public, the business
community and the sign companies by spending some time on an expression of
community aesthetic values and craft sign regulations to fit those
values.  That way, when technology changes, the resulting signage can be
asked to meet that standard rather than asking the aesthetics to meet the
technology.  

 



Geoff Badenoch

P   Please consider the environment before printing
this email. 



-----Original Message-----

From:
missoulagov-bounces at cmslists.com [mailto:missoulagov-bounces at cmslists.com] On Behalf Of John Torma

Sent: Thursday,
 January 15, 2009 12:31 AM

To: Bob Jaffe;
missoulagov at cmslists.com

Subject: Re: [MissoulaGov]
Committee Update 1-14-09

 





Bob, what you are trying to do with the electronic
signs is exactly what the status of the sign regulations were when I was the
sign enforcement officer in the mid to late eighties.  We called them
electronic change copy signs then.  They were allowed, but the message
visible on the sign could be changed no more frequently than once every 30
minutes, I believe.  The rationale for that was just as you have stated --
the very purpose of a revolving message on a sign is to attract your attention
to it, which is a dangerous thing if you happen to be trying to keep control of
a two to four thousand pound pile of metal and glass.  It really surprised
me when these rapidly changing signs started appearing again.  I would
love to know what happened on the regulatory end.





 





John Torma





 



 







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