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Staff Report:
Over the
past several years, an increasing number of individuals and
businesses have raised concerns about perceived limitations
and inconsistencies in the existing sign regulations
contained in Article 8 of the Zoning Ordinance. The issues
raised to staff have been very broad in nature, ranging from
topics such as the amount, type and location of signage
allowed in a given zoning district, to clarification
regarding the existing regulations for items such as
temporary signs and political signs. In the past year alone,
the Board of Supervisors has approved several text
amendments to modify the existing regulations under specific
circumstances. Most recently, at the July 10, 2008 regularly
scheduled meeting, the Board initiated the latest revision
to Article 8, an amendment that proposes to allow
subdivision signs in a limited manner in public
rights-of-way; this amendment is currently in the Planning
Commission Public Hearing process.
Staff is in
agreement that the existing Ordinance regulations regarding
signs would benefit from an update since the current
regulations were generally adopted in 1981, with certain
portions dating back to the 1970’s. As with any business
industry, recent innovations and trends in sign design have
seen the proliferation of digital media displays, such as
the use of light emitting diodes (LED) signs, and more
frequent use of outdoor advertising on large vehicles that
are parked in commercial areas or in public rights-of-way.
Each new sign type that comes into use has prompted the
County to either amend Article 8 to accommodate these
changes or resulted in an increase of enforcement actions
that encumber valuable County resources. From an enforcement
perspective, staff has identified several provisions in
Article 8 that would benefit from revision, thereby freeing
up staff time to focus on other priorities.
One of the
stated goals of the Fauquier County Comprehensive Plan is to
sustain and enhance the quality of life its citizens. As a
means to this end, County policies and regulations should
encourage a high quality of life through design standards
that are sensitive to existing development scale, culture
and natural environments. Accordingly, one of the ten policy
and action strategies identified in Chapter 11, Community
Design Guidelines, is to promote various design elements,
such as signage, that complement the scale and character of
existing and planned development in the County. Another
stated goal of the Plan is to encourage economic development
which will result in a net tax benefit, create needed job
opportunities, and support other adopted goals. In the
context of a discussion on signage, it would appear that
these goals are in disagreement. However, staff believes
that a new sign ordinance could be drafted in which these
goals are mutually compatible.
For all of
these reasons, staff believes it is appropriate at this time
to consider an amendment and revision of Article 8. The
process would consider the Article in its entirety,
evaluating and proposing new text language for all aspects
of signs. Given the complexity and level of interest in
issues relating to signs, revising this portion of the
Zoning Ordinance is likely to be a lengthy and challenging
task, and it is typical for a jurisdiction to spend a
considerable amount of time in sign regulation updates given
their scope. This initiation proposes no specific language
for the text amendment, but rather is the first step in
initiating staff’s study of the issue. In the interest of
fairness and representing all perspectives of such a complex
land use topic, it may be beneficial to form a committee
consisting of business owners, property owners, and sign
industry professionals to assist in amending the document.
Staff will take the necessary steps to form such a committee
if the Board deems this to be an appropriate course of
action. |