featured-whitepaper1.jpg Clear Channel Outdoor.com

Off-premise signs were again a topic of discussion at Monday night’s Public Safety & Welfare meeting.  Two sign representatives were present and spoke at the meeting:  Jason Sari from Adams Outdoor Advertising, and Mark Rausch, from Clear Channel Outdoor Advertising.  Sari had a whole list of items that he asked to be changed in the draft ordinance which was provided at the Aug. 8th meeting.

Item # 1 on Sari’s list had to do with how permits would be treated.  Would they be issued as a permit by right and not as a conditional use?  This topic was deemed to be a major one, which was then tabled at the end of the meeting for discussion at the next meeting.

The committee directed Matt Knight, assistant city attorney, to go ahead and make the changes numbered 2 through 9 on Sari’s list.  These changes had to do with setback requirements, spacing from historical sites, schools, churches, public parks, recreation areas, etc., and height requirements.  The first reading of the ordinance change would then be read at the next Common Council meeting on September 7th, and this committee would then meet again on September 12th to discuss the first item on the list further.

Clear Channel Outdoor has only three sign locations in the city of Kenosha, the fourth is a sub-lease on the Interstate.  Rausch had some of the same suggestions that Sari did.  Both reps called for industry standard requirements, not just arbitrary changes.

A representative from City Development was also present at the meeting.  He said that amendments to the zoning code would also be needed.  First, general code changes, then zoning code changes.  Sign credits also were discussed.  There is no sign cap in the current ordinance.  “Was that merely an oversight?”  The sign cap was taken out of the 2007 zoning amendment.  The sign cap = sign credits.  City Development recommended keeping the cap so that no additional signs can go up.