Flashy signage may get dimmed by county rules (Elkhart, IN)

The Elkhart Truth ^ | 6/28/2009 | Dustin Lawrence

[Fester Chugabrew]

An ordinance will be brought before the Elkhart County Plan Commission Friday that looks to dim the lights and cut movement on electronic signs.

The ordinance, proposed by county planners, would ban the construction of electronic message boards with flashing or strobing lights, lengthy animations or a bright output. It also limits electronic message boards from being placed in residential or agricultural zones unless they are approved by the Board of Zoning Appeals.

"This is forward thinking," said Robert Nemeth, an Elkhart County planner who drafted the ordinance. "Sign prices are dropping and we would like to preserve an Elkhart type environment rather than a cheap Las Vegas type environment."

Beyond aesthetics, Nemeth says the proposal will also preserve property values and limit distractions to drivers.

"We wanted to strike a balance between residents, businesses but also motorists," Nemeth said.

Lyle Ryman, a member of the Greater Elkhart Chamber of Commerce's board and owner of Sign Images, says that local sign companies should be in favor of such a ban. With set guidelines in certain zones, he says, not only will unneeded bureaucracy be cut but local signs won't have to compete with outside competition.

"This serves both local sign companies and the county," Ryman said. "It's the wave of the future."

Already a similar ban has taken affect in Goshen. That ban, enacted almost four years ago, brought with it ongoing debates over enforcement and impact on business.

Nemeth says that he's hoping to hear from residents at the July 9 meeting. If the ordinance is approved by the Plan Commission it then moves on to county's Board of Commissioners.

"We're trying to bring this before the public to see if this is what they want," Ryman said.

THE PROPOSAL

Proposed limitations to electronic message boards:

* Must be 300 feet from an existing residence

* Must show the entire message at one time

* The change in message must be instantaneous, no scrolling

* The electronic message must remain static for a minimum of 10 seconds

* The intensity of the illumination can't be changed until night, when it is reduced to a set standard

* No flashing, blinking or strobing

* No more than five seconds of movement from animations, scrawling or holographics

[Fester Chugabrew]

Local Elkhart politicians seem intent on creating assinine intrusions into every day business practices, like putting up signs that draw attention to your business. For all the whining about lack of business around this place, you'd think we'd be coming up with more, bigger, and better signs, but instead we burden local businesses with silly ideas like this while holding out hands out to the feds for stimulus funds.

"Wave of the future?" "Forward thinking?" I suppose so, if we think onerous regulations are a sign of progress. I'd like to see the future yank these politicians out of office and replace them with people who know how to be less intrusive when it comes to ordinances and regulations; who know that real forward thinking entails positive innovation in an environment that encourages FREE enterprise.

"We're trying to bring this before the public to see if this is what they want. . . ." In other words, if you're not on the ball enough to show up and and voice concerns, we'll ram this puppy down your throat, too. These folks need a deck of cards and a one way trip to Vegas, home of the "cheap signs."

[BlueStateBlues]

I hope this goes nationwide. Those horrible flashing signs will take over the highways and the countrysides, ruin the nightime and the scenic routes, and all of that is just too much to give up.