Who’s Afraid of the Big, Bad Sign?

An unlikely, lurking, controversial part of every city’s ordinances or development code is the dreaded Sign Code. Though seemingly benign, this monster can approach the unsuspecting Planner under the cover of night and make for a seriously horrid nightmare. Who knew such a seemingly small set of requirements would scare off even the toughest of our planning ilk!

Some cry “curb appeal.” Others campaign in the name of “Economic Development.”

Opponents call it knit-picking. Others call it a limit on one’s free speech.

There are so many reasons why sign codes move residents to tears.

Signs play a significant role in notifying potential customers of the goods and services they might procure, if only they’d stop, pull open the door(s), step inside, and inquire. They set the tone for an area, often encouraging clusters of businesses to locate in a place, possibly causing many levels of multipliers that can be critical to commercial areas of a city.

Why have a sign code?” you ask. Well, there are several reasons:

• Clear signage is an important step in finding goods and services. Cluttered signs endanger everyone on the road – whether it’s a pedestrian crossing the street or a distracted driver meeting some street furniture in an unfriendly way.
• Consistent signage increases “curb appeal,” making signage in a downtown critical to the success of multiple businesses, simultaneously. When you enter a commercial area, signs can help identify a district – think branding or wayfinding.
• Sign codes assure safety through building standards. It would be a shame for a poorly hung sign to fall and hurt someone, or worse.

The City of Creswell, like many small communities, has haggled over their sign code for a number of years. Moving from a development standard to a city ordinance in 2007, the sign code has never brought smiles to many faces. In order to achieve the positive outcomes listed above, the city moved forward with a sign code revision in 2010. Without the promise of enforcement, however, such a revision may miss the mark.

Here comes the rub. All signs in town will have to comply with the new code. This will require leadership, with a capitol “L.” Clear, attractive, and effective signage has the potential to be the low-hanging fruit Oregon Avenue in Creswell has been waiting for – a relatively inexpensive way to begin to revitalize downtown. Existing businesses are ready to contribute, and welcome new businesses to expand the services one can access in this small community of 5,031.The Economic Development elves are getting excited.

With the help of some legacy volunteers, who are mostly business owners, Creswell is moving the sign code revision forward. The Sign Code Update Committee will stick to its convictions, get downtown owners on-board, and carry the flag to the finish line (Conveniently enough, flags ARE covered under the new sign code, so long as they’re not too large). Fingers are crossed, signs are backlit, and lettering is being set. Prepare the fireworks. Alert the City Council.

If it was easy, we wouldn’t be talking about it.

About the Author: After receiving her Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from McGill University, Madeline ‘Maddie’ Phillips moved to Vail, Colorado where she worked as a Planning Intern for the Community Development Office. Upon completion of her internship, Maddie relocated to Eugene, Oregon where she attained a Masters in Community and Regional Planning from the University of Oregon. As a graduate student, she worked extensively with the Community Service Center, acting as a project manager on a number of large scale projects. Following her year with the RARE AmeriCorps Program-Resource Assistance for Rural Environments, Maddie hopes to find work as a planner in the wonderful State of Oregon.

Maddie is placed with the City of Creswell where she will build upon a wide array of local initiatives. Using existing momentum, she will develop a number of community-based planning documents and move forward a number of endeavors including the management of the Cobalt Building Redevelopment Project, planning and development of Creswell’s Earth Day Celebration and providing oversight for Creswell’s Social Services Office.