Madison County commissioners unanimously approved new sign guidelines May 4 that planners said will prove easier to understand and more business friendly than previous codes.
“We’re looking at simplifying this so it is easily read and so that it also accomplishes two things: one being a little more business friendly and two, a little more agricultural friendly,” said planning commission chairman Wayne Douglas to the BOC. “The major changes were in those two areas.”
Douglas said if businesses with standardized signage plans are looking to locate in business districts in Madison County, they can come to the county without having to go before the planning commission and BOC for a sign variance.
“They will be allowed to put those signs up if they have a standardized signage plan,” said Douglas. “They still have to get their permit.”
Douglas said the rules also relax restrictions on businesses in agricultural areas. For instance, under the old county guidelines, the Hwy. 106 inert landfill was only allowed a small sign. Douglas said large trucks were forced to slam on their brakes because drivers couldn’t see the sign.
“So we changed the signs that are allowed in an agricultural area to 32 square feet,” said Douglas, adding that both sides of the sign can be up to 32 square feet.
With a 32-square-foot sign or less, citizens won’t have to pay for a permit. Douglas said those who want to advertise hay or produce for sale will have an easier time putting up signs.
“But it doesn’t mean the ordinance can’t be enforced,” said Douglas. “It just means that they can put their signs up.”
Douglas said enforcement of the sign ordinance occurs only after someone has come in to the planning and zoning office and filed a written complaint about a sign.
“There are signs in the county now that do not meet the specifications of the sign ordinance,” said Douglas. “They’re there because nobody has filed a complaint.”
Chip Chandler, Carlton, posed a number of questions about the changes Monday.
“I agree with trying to simplify the code; it’s kind of complex,” said Chandler.
Chandler noted that the ordinance prohibits people from attaching or painting onto a vehicle on a street for the sole purpose of advertising on that street. Chandler said he would like that provision to also include trailers. He recalled one political sign on a trailer last year as something to be avoided.
Chandler noted that public signs are exempted from restrictions, even signs put up by a “private person for a public purpose.”
“Who’s deciding whether I’m legit or not?” asked Chandler. “There’s no means for deciding that.”
Chandler pointed out that signs exempted from the regulations are “signs and bulletin boards for churches and places of worship. He said he didn’t feel churches should be granted any special exemptions from sign restrictions.
“Not here in Madison County but in other counties, some of the churches have put up some really big, tacky signs, that I don’t think have anything to do with church,” said Chandler. “I think it has to do with the pastor’s ego.”
Chandler also said he supports a “business friendly” sign ordinance. But he warned that the BOC could be going too far.
“The question is, the way this is written, if a big company comes in and says to you, ‘I am a big business and this is the way we’ve always done our signs, and I’m going to do that, right now, it has to be permitted without even the zoning administrator’s approval, just by the business’s say so,” said Chandler.
“It doesn’t even say it has to be an incorporated business. And I think that is a huge loophole in this.”
