City out to bust illegal signs
OCEAN PARK Businesses here best beware, the sign police are on the prowl once again, looking to rid the city of the visual blight rendered by illegal banners, sandwich boards and other advertisements.
Next up: Main Street. Code compliance officers with City Hall have been conducting routine sweeps of the city as part of an education and enforcement campaign and will next have their sights set on the popular commercial corridor. Around 1,000 letters have been sent to merchants informing them about the law in preparation for inspections.
Officers said no fines will be issued initially, with those complying within 10 days of receiving a warning in the clear. While code compliance officials prefer to work with the business community rather than strictly punishing them, those who opt to advertise in violation could face stiff penalties.
“It’s really about public safety and aesthetics,” said Katherine Comparetto, code compliance supervisor.
The law states that “an excess of large, ugly, intense signs causes a visual blight on the appearance of the city by detracting from views of structures and open space” and that it “adversely affects... traffic safety” by distracting drivers.
The law was originally enacted in the mid-1980s, with subsequent additions banning the use of sidewalk signs, prohibiting merchants from displaying goods in a public walkway.
Ellen West, owner of the “all natural” toy store Acorn on Fifth Street in Downtown, was warned earlier this month about the toys she had placed in front of her business to both attract customers and shoo away the homeless from her doorway. West removed her merchandise after being put on notice by city officials.
“It was a tradition for the last five years that made everyone happy,” West said of the toys out in front of her shop. “The toys used to put a smile on people’s faces. Now, all of a sudden, here I am with nothing.
“People pass by and they don’t know there is a store here.”
West is hoping to work out some kind of compromise that will allow her to leave at least one or two items in front of the store. She plans to take some pictures of her display to see what could be allowed.
“I’m very pleased they gave me a warning,” she said.
To get a sign or banner approved, a business owner must submit an application with the Architectural Review Board prior to placing, changing or altering any sign, unless it is specifically exempted by the law. A permit is not needed for repair, maintenance or replacement of a lawful and conforming sign.
In the case of a new sign proposed to be placed on a designated city landmark, the owner would have to obtain a permit from the Landmarks Commission.
The law is very specific when it comes to the size and location of a sign, as well as the length of time it can be displayed. For instance, holiday decorations are allowed, but displays can’t exceed a total of six weeks during any calendar year. As for real estate signs, they are allowed in residential areas on the property for rent or sale, but they can’t exceed six feet in total area and not more than six feet in height, plus other restrictions.
Some merchants have complained that the law is too restrictive and complicated to follow, which is why city staff is prone to give out warnings instead of fines. If it was the other way around, merchants said City Hall would make a lot of money.
“I suspect that the code compliance people will find something, only because as much as we try and the city tries to explain the law, there is always a certain amount of confusion,” said Gary Gordon, executive director of the Main Street Merchants Association. “New businesses get to put up a banner for a grand opening for a brief amount of time and, sometimes, when another business sees this, they figure it’s OK for them to do the same.”
Main Street merchants asked the City Council a few years ago to amend the law and allow for businesses there to put up decorative sandwich boards that would be somewhat uniform to help beautify the sidewalks, Gordon said. That request was denied.
Not all businesses are looking to change the law. Some are in favor of the strict rules on advertising in public.
“Business people are like any other group of people — you get all kinds of different reactions,” Gordon said.“There are those who vigorously support what the city has in mind, in terms of aesthetics, and people who are really opposed to what they see as an intervention in the marketplace and a restriction of trade.”
Originally published in the Santa Monica Daily Press print edition on July 18, 2007. Read the original PDF.