New Tallahassee Sign Ordinance

[poonther]

Tally is getting WAY too many billboards IMHO and it is starting to look trashy.

[psycuda]

They revised the billboard part of the sign code a little while back to tighten some of the controls. However before this revision went into effect, they allowed the sign companies to pull permits and construction billboards under the old rules. That is why you saw a bunch of them go up at once.

However I think this new ruling would not have effected the 3 new electronic billboards around town which as a guy who isn't much into signage, I actually don't mind these.

The billboard on T-ville road I believe is under county control and not COT if I've got that correct???? It really doesn't bother me much either....of course I see it like three times a year. Anyway, like it or not, I still can't follow the logic where they say it's in a Lake Protection Zone and therefore must go. One, it doesn't block the view of the lake and two please tell me how one billboard harms a lake more than the 100 homes that surround it and the oily runoff from the 6-lanes of T'ville Rd? Remove it or not, but don't use a lame excuse for the reason.

Finally there was a billboard going up under the old rules (just before the new one went into effect) that did not meet the old code requirements even though they got a permit for it. I worked to have that one removed. It was on Lafayette near The Moon.

[gibson]

You always here the city talk about branding our community and making it unique. The fastest way to make it unique is to ban billboards, create a height limit on signs, and ban electronic signage as well. Basically, take a page from Hilton Heads book. Take care of the core with enhancement projects, and clean up Tennessee, Pensacola, and Monroe St.

[Florida]

Did you see that?!

A site unseen in Tallahassee before this ordinance passed

Isn't that cool!

[Aerobird]

Actually I'm not sure I like the electronic billboards; maybe they're too close to giant televisions...

A sign ordinance I'd really like to see would restrict all new business signs to ground-level signage, except for those by the Interstate. And it would also require all the exsisting conventional billboards to change their lighting so that it would shine down from the top of the board, instead of up into the night sky like they do now.

[poonther]

I only like the electronic billboards b/c it's my hope that w/them there will be fewer billboards in the city/county.

I agree w/you about just using monument type signage (ground level.) As far as the up-lighting on the billboards go, once something is in place and permitted, you can't make them change it. You can change the rules, but those in existence are "grandfathered in."

It takes years for the effects of new sign code ordinances to show up throughout the community.

[cgtally]

Actually I'm not sure I like the electronic billboards; maybe they're too close to giant televisions...

A sign ordinance I'd really like to see would restrict all new business signs to ground-level signage, except for those by the Interstate. And it would also require all the exsisting conventional billboards to change their lighting so that it would shine down from the top of the board, instead of up into the night sky like they do now.