Electronic message signs are the subject of a new proposal in unincorporated Jefferson Parish. The measure, which would eliminate all animation or special effects and affect hundreds of companies, has attracted plenty of attention from both business and neighborhood activists. "We really are hearing from both sides," Parish Councilman Chris Roberts said. Council members received so many calls with questions about...
Electronic message signs are the subject of a new proposal in unincorporated Jefferson Parish. The measure, which would eliminate all animation or special effects and affect hundreds of companies, has attracted plenty of attention from both business and neighborhood activists.
After nearly 18 months of research, parish planners have come up with Jefferson's first comprehensive electronic sign ordinance.
"We really are hearing from both sides," Parish Councilman Chris Roberts said. Council members received so many calls with questions about the proposed ordinance that they deferred voting on it from Sept. 19 to Oct. 24.
At issue is something that has gone largely unregulated as electronic signs became more and more common in the past decade. After an 18-month study that included a look at all the major issues, as well as what other communities are doing, the Planning Department has come up with an ordinance with three major components.
All signs that include scrolling, special effects or animation would be banned. The owners of existing signs with animation would have until Jan. 1 to reprogram their signs.
The dwell time, the period an image must remain on a sign before another image appears, would be set at six seconds.
And the size of signs would be restricted based in part on their location in the parish. In most commercial districts in unincorporated Jefferson, electronic signs could be no larger than 100 square feet. But in commercial areas close to neighborhoods, such as Metairie Road, the maximum would be 50 square feet.
"I'm comfortable with the Planning Department's recommendation(s) ... allowing sign owners to continue to use their signs and communicate their messages, while realizing other goals like a reduction in clutter," Planning Director Terri Wilkinson said.
But Christian Rooney, president of Flooring Depot & Commercial Floors in Elmwood, thinks the proposal would hurt businesses.
"It's my opinion that a number of the current regulations being proposed are not logical and create roadblocks to doing business in Jefferson Parish," said Rooney. I'm hopeful that our council members will rely on a clear interpretation of the currently proposed regulations to direct the (Planning Department) to work closely with the sign industry experts to create regulations that are mutually beneficial to Jefferson Parish citizens and both local and national businesses."
The Planning Department study included feedback from sign industry officials. But Rooney has brought another sign industry representative into the discussion to question the need to ban animation and require a six-second dwell time.
"Businesses survive or fail depending on their ability to pass on information to potential customers," said Terra Fisher, director of state and local regulatory affairs for Daktronics, a large sign company based in Brookings, S.D. "Placing restrictions on businesses' ability to communicate, especially in difficult economic times like these, can mean the difference between a business surviving or failing."
Roberts said he has instructed his council staff to listen to the arguments from both sides. His goal is to suggest some changes that would represent a compromise for both sides.
"I do think something needs to be done to formalize the parish's position on these signs," he said. "But I'm also mindful of the commerce of local retail businesses, especially when more and more (are) going online and a lot of our retail establishments are struggling. That's where our jobs are, our sales taxes and our property taxes all come from. I don't want to handicap them further."
That argument doesn't make sense to President Ralph Brandt of the Civic League, an umbrella organization for neighborhood associations throughout the parish.
"I don't accept that this is a sales tax-generating issue," Brandt said. "With this being predominantly an expensive investment, you'll mostly have big box retailers headquartered out of state buying them. That means tax dollars won't multiply in this community as it would if it was spent by a mom and pop local business."
Brandt said his group favors the regulations proposed by the Planning Department and sees them as a compromise between public safety and the best interests of local businesses.
"We believe that Ms. Wilkinson and the Planning Department have absolutely captured the essence of what needs to be done as far as the elimination of the scintillating effects, (while) still allowing the signs," he said.
While some compromise is inevitable, Brandt said there are areas where it's difficult to consider a compromise because of safety issues. For example, he said the Planning Department's presentation indicates that the parish took a middle-line approach in choosing a six-second dwell time, compared to other communities.
"I don't know how you get to the point of compromise when you are at the point of public safety."
But Fisher said there is no data linking more traffic wrecks to electronic message boards. She admits that some studies show there is a safety issue when a driver is distracted for more than two seconds, but she said that's not what happens with electronic signs.
"Studies examining glances at digital signs, however, have found average glances to be far less than two seconds," Fisher said. Simply because people look at digital signs does not mean that they are hazardous. Furthermore, digital signs with animation have been permitted within the parish for years without causing issues. While I empathize with their concerns, those concerns are unfounded and without factual basis.
Roberts said he also is worried about how the ordinance would be enforced: Will inspectors drive around looking for violations, or will they respond only to complaints?
"We're so focused on blighted housing and trying to address high grass ... . Now we're asking for sign police," he said. "I want to know more about the enforcement end of that."