Sign Go Ahead

More signage news from in and around the UK from Hants and Dorset Signs as the plans for a controversial bank advertising sign in Sidmouth have been given the go-ahead. There were a lot of voices against allowing permission for Santander to display the advertising sign at Abbey, Fore Street, when it was discussed at Sidmouth Town Council's planning meeting last Wednesday.

In September councillors refused the sign, stating the fascia appeared to be metal, which was contrary to policy for listed buildings in the town centre's conservation area.

Now, after hearing the company would consider appealing against a refusal, town clerk, Trina Jarrett, has been tasked to try to negotiate a compromise sign using more suitable materials, such as painted wood, for the town centre's conservation area.

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Signage Crackdown

More signage news from around the world from Hants and Dorset Signs as in the last two months, 60 business owners in Bartow, Florida have found out the hard way that their signs violate the city's sign ordinance. Each of them has gotten a letter from Bartow code enforcement inspectors asking them to fix the problem or face the city's code enforcement board.

"We're really cracking down on this sign problem," said Gregg Lamb, director of the city's building department. "It was getting out of hand. If we don't restrict it, it looks like the circus is coming to town down Broadway Avenue."

Most of the businesses have complied, Lamb said, which is all the city wants them to do.

"We really haven't had too much trouble," he said. "The Planning and Zoning Commission worked hard several years ago revamping the sign ordinance, and it should be enforced. We just want the city to look nice."

Most of the violations have involved temporary signs in road rights-of-way and banners on storefronts, he said. If business owners see somebody else getting away with it, then they're going to try it.

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Easy Signs

More signage news from in around the world from Hants and Dorset Signs as business owners in communities near Johnston, Iowa have complained recently of sign ordinances they believe are too restrictive to meet their business needs. But the controversy has largely bypassed Johnston, in part due to a change in city ordinance years ago.

Dave Wilwerding, Johnston's community development director, said his department cleaned up the city's sign ordinance about six years ago to address the trend of using temporary signs such as banners, sandwich boards and mobile electronic boards to advertise sales.

A $25 permit is required for nonpermanent signage in Johnston, with exceptions for certain types of signs, such as real estate and garage sale signs. Applicants may request such permits for two "events" per year, and each permit granted is valid for 10 days, with one of the events eligible for a 20-day extension.

By comparison, Urbandale previously permitted temporary signs to be displayed for 40 consecutive days. The ordinance was amended to extend the limit to 100 days.

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Campaign Signs

More signage news from around the world from Hants and Dorset Signs as in the Lower Hudson Valley, New York the Election Day may have passed, but some of those political signs are still littering the landscape. Political advertisements, particularly lawn signs, are traditionally taken down after an election — sometimes even before by opponents — though some leftovers remain abandoned on the sides of roads like weeks-old road kill.

“Our policy is what you put up, you take down,” said Bill O’Reilly, spokesman for Rob Astorino, a Republican who defeated County Executive Andrew Spano. He said any remaining signs would be taken down. “Sometimes the other campaign does that for you before Election Day.”

A general rule for campaigns is that volunteers and workers are responsible for the signs they put up, O’Reilly said.

With so many regional races, particularly ones for county executive, district attorney, county clerk and scores of other contests, one need not go far to see that some signs dot the landscape.

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New Signage

More signage news from around the world from Hants and Dorset Signs as Roy, Utah has streamlined its sign ordinances after business owners spoke out to make sure they could get the signage they wanted. Electronic message center signs on poles will be allowed in community commercial zones that have at least 3 acres for their businesses.

However, to have those signs, businesses must get approval through conditional-use permits.

As the ordinance was originally presented to the council, electronic message center signs on freestanding poles would be allowed only in regional commercial zones (along 1900 West) and some electronic message center signs at ground level would be allowed in community commercial zones (all other areas in the city zoned commercial that have close proximity to residential areas).

The planning commission spent four meetings revising the sign ordinance, which was 30 years old.

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Library Sign

More signage news from in around the UK from Hants and Dorset Signs as new picture signs have been put up outside a library — to direct people who cannot read. And the signs have been installed to direct people to Westhoughton Library, just centimetres from an existing one.

A traditional sign pointing readers to the “public library” has been on the corner of Westhoughton Town Hall, pointing towards the entrance in Library Street, for decades.

But now Bolton Council has put up two new ones, with the Bolton Council logo, below the existing sign and above the entrance, at a cost of £759.

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Sign Award

More signage news from around the world from Hants and Dorset Signs as RLO Sign, Inc., located in Sheboygan, has been awarded first place in the 2009 Sign Contest for non-illuminated exterior identification signage by the Wisconsin Sign Association. Judging was based on overall design, selection and use of materials. Judges were a panel of peers selected by the WSA.

RLO's award is based on the sandblasted, flagmounted sign at Greenseed Studios, 1011 Indiana Ave., Sheboygan.

The WSA was organized in 1970 to enhance and promote the professionalism, knowledge and image of its members and the on-premise sign industry. Through its programs it seeks to elevate the standards of manufacturing, installation, service and efficiency in the sign industry. The association also serves to establish in member firms a high regard for technical competence and fair dealing to promote a good public image for the sign industry.

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Dont Feed The Ducks

More signage news from and around the UK from Hants and Dorset Signs as a council backed down this week over a fine issued to a young mother for feeding the ducks with her 17-month-old son, pledging to adopt a "common sense approach".

Vanessa Kelly, 26, was given a £75 fixed penalty notice for littering last Tuesday, after a warden saw her and her son throwing bread at a duck pond in Smethwick Hall Park in the West Midlands. Ms Kelly, from Oldbury, West Midlands, was told she was not in a "designated feeding area", but today Sandwell Council dropped the fine and promised to improved signage in the park.

The council's deputy leader, Councillor Darren Cooper, said: "We will take a common sense approach to this matter and for this reason we will not pursue payment for Vanessa Kelly's fixed penalty notice while we improve signs at Smethwick Hall Park.

"The new signs will make it abundantly clear that feeding of waterfowl is not allowed at all in this park and that anyone observed feeding the geese and any other birds will receive a fixed penalty notice."

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Trail Signage

More signage news from around the world from Hants and Dorset Signs as visitors to Canal Place won’t have to worry about losing their way thanks to plans by the Maryland Department of Planning to improve signage on the Great Allegheny Passage trail and other areas.

Signs posted on the trails “don’t seem to work,” said Regional Planner Bill Atkinson at Tuesday’s meeting of the Canal Place Preservation & Development Authority.

The Department of Planning has already placed metal disks in the cobblestones around Canal Place that will serve as mile markers and signs. Atkinson said the Department of Planning intends to take posted signs down and place them on walls around Canal Place and the visitor’s center instead this week.

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Welsh Signage

More signage news from in and around the UK from Hants and Dorset Signs as Welsh language protesters took to the streets in a campaign against a high street superstore. The Welsh Language Society – Cymdeithas yr Iaith – launched its own mock version of the Boots advantage card as members protested outside the Bangor store on Saturday.

The cards said "There are no points whatsoever for using Welsh". The Welsh Language Society is unhappy with Boots over the firm’s bilingual policy, claiming it falls well short.

Protesters also held a rally to support Osian Jones of Cymdeithas, who is facing criminal charges for painting slogans about the lack of Welsh language services provided by major high street stores in North Wales on their buildings.

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Signage Clamp Down

More signage news from around the world from Hants and Dorset Signs as in Holliston, Massachusetts a decision by town officials to begin enforcing sign bylaws has some small business owners in town worried that their ability to reach out to potential customers will be impaired.

Last week, Town Planner Karen Sherman and Building Inspector Peter Tartakoff canvassed the town, handing out memos to businesses reminding them of bylaws prohibiting sandwich board signs on sidewalks and mandating the types and sizes of signs that can be displayed in windows.

Some business owners said they were disappointed in the move by the town, and that cheap advertising, especially in the form of clearly visible sandwich boards, is especially important in the current economic climate.

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Safety Signs

More signage news from around the world from Hants and Dorset Signs as The Department of Transport Australia will increase signage in the waters at Gegraphe Bay because of safety concerns. The signage will highlight areas for boating and boundaries for water skiing.

The department's Peter Kiely says the number of skiers using Geographe Bay is set to increase after the temporary closure of the Koombana Bay and Power House ski areas. The areas were considered a risk because of floating debris from Bunbury's crumbling timber jetty.

Mr Kiely says the signs at Geographe Bay will target all water users.

"You get even paddle craft and sail craft out there as well as speedboats and people going fishing, snorkelers and all sorts of things," he said.

"So there's all sorts of people using those waters, so it's important that all those people are aware where ski areas are, where vessels are permitted to go and where they shouldn't go."

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Welsh Signs

More signage news from in and around the UK from Hants and Dorset Signs as Town regeneration group LLANI Ltd came under fire last year when a series of ‘fingerpost’ tourism signs were erected in the town. LLANI Ltd were criticised because the signs contained information and directions only in English. Members of the town council complained and the signs were pulled down. Speaking at the time, Councillor Nick Venti, who is also treasuerer of Llani Ltd, said the choice to use only English was down to the limited space available on the signs. Cllr Venti said: “We were not legally required to include Welsh language on the signs, but in the interest of best practise we did suggest making the signs bilingual.


“That said, the fingerposts in question were developed in tandem with other interpretive signage and with a town map and guide leaflet. Both the interpretive signage and the leaflet are fully bilingual, and it was our intention to make the finger posts bilingual as well.


“However, with limited funding available, and with the amount of space available on each arm of the posts being limited, we were forced to make a choice between English or Welsh.


“After careful consideration of our obligations and of our genuine desire to promote the core principles of the Welsh Language Act, we felt that it was better to go for English on the fingerposts in this instance, both as this reflected the demographic of the core tourism marketing that the signage was targeted towards, and as the majority of the places signed to had their own bilingual signage in place.

“It is unfortunate that this decision has not met with the approval of all local residents, but it was a decision made in all good faith.”

At a meeting of the town council on October 26, it was confirmed to members that the signs had now been altered to include both Welsh and English.

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Bus Signage

More signage news from in and around the UK from Hants and Dorset Signs as new school bus signage designed to improve the safety of children using school transport is being trialled in Aberdeenshire. The council developed the initiative in partnership with the Scottish Government and north-east bus operators to warn road users that school buses and pupils are likely to be in the area.

The new signs were developed in response to concerns about the visibility, interpretation and reported inappropriate use of the existing school bus sign. The new signage makes use of higher visibility, reflective materials and features the words ‘School Bus’.

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Art Signage

More signage news from around the world from Hants and Dorset Signs as art fans in downtown Los Angeles no doubt have started to notice some new signs going up around the neighborhood. A week ago, the city began putting up a series of 25 street signs intended to demarcate the area's Gallery Row district, which roughly encompasses Spring and Main streets between 2nd and 9th streets.

The signs are expected to be ready for the Downtown Art Walk on Nov. 12.
Architecture and design firm Durfee | Regn created the signs, attached to sidewalk lampposts 16 feet from the ground. The signs are 5 inches tall and 12 feet wide; two thin panels announce "Gallery Row" on both sides. Collectively, the signs are intended to create a large dashed-line effect that indicates the borders of Gallery Row.

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Signage Standards

More signage news from around the world from Hants and Dorset Signs as proposed standards for freestanding business signs took shape during a Tuesday meeting of the city of Amarillo Texas Sign Regulation Advisory Committee. The Amarillo City Commission appointed the panel to hammer out details of a new ordinance regulating on-premises business signs. The proposed ordinance must be approved by the city Planning and Zoning Commission and the City Commission.

Signs that do not conform to the new regulations will be allowed to remain in place. They would only be required to come down or meet the new standards if they became dilapidated or obsolete because the business they advertise no longer operates. The proposed ordinance discussed by the committee would set standards for business signs according to the type of thoroughfare on which they are located.

Businesses along interstate and state highways would be allowed larger, taller signs than those on commercial arteries because their signs are designed to be seen from far distances by drivers at highway speeds.

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Sign Thefts

More signage news from around the world from Hants and Dorset Signs as in Wollondilly,Australia sign thefts put lives in danger. A number of permanent signs and temporary traffic control notices have gone missing from roadsides.

The council believes the thefts make the roads unsafe and divert funds from elsewhere to replace them. It revealed almost $50,000 of its $120,000 annual signage budget was spent on replacing missing or vandalised signs.

Acting works manager Michael Nelson said the thefts were a growing concern.

“Some of the signage to go missing are chevrons which indicate the tightness of the approaching corner,” he said. “These signs going missing leave the particular roadside absent of such warnings, which could present a danger to unsuspecting motorists.”

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Signage Issue

More signage news from around the world from Hants and Dorset Signs as in Canada, Dieppe Mayor Jean LeBlanc says he is proud of how his council and staff have handled the French signage issue in the world's largest Acadian city. Despite mounting pressure to push through a linguistic signage policy, including petitions and outspoken critics, LeBlanc said council and staff have been working to get the regulatory package right.

"Yes there has been pressure, but everybody realizes how important this is and we are best to get it right, rather than have it done expediently," said LeBlanc, noting that staff has been studying policies in other municipalities to determine what would work best in Dieppe.

"That is why I am so proud of council and so proud of staff."

The mayor said the council is only weeks away from debating and likely adopting a new language policy with respect to signage in the city. He said the issue should take centre stage in council's chamber by late November.

But he said it is crucial that the proper due diligence is done and that the new measures are studied from every possible vantage point before unveiling any details.

In addition, he said it is important that the policy is properly communicated to avoid sparking any unfounded controversy that might jeopardize the work that has been done.

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