Commissioners discuss future of sign rules in county

BRADENTON – It may be a sign of the times, but county commissioners on Tuesday took on the county's sign ordinance.

At the worksession, leaders heard about the county's sign code, which doesn't really lend itself to simplicity. There are conflicting rules in the Land Development Code, convoluted provisions, an outdated ordinance, sign inconsistency and more, commissioners were told.

The current rules are unfavorable to businesses, and Commissioner Carol Whitmore complained that landscaping blocked the prices at a gas station she stopped at on U.S. 41.

"I think we can do something tastefully and help the county's businesses," she said.

"I've been told that tourists driving south from homes in the wintertime hit the county border and don't see signs that point them to businesses," said County Commissioner Larry Bustle. "They hit Sarasota county and find businesses."

A presentation on signs included some good and bad signs, and commissioners asked about electronic signs. Bustle pointed out that one problem is that they distract drivers.

For example, he said, the one at the Manatee Civic Center can be a problem as people wait to see what will come up next.

Still, he said, ”I guess we have to stay up with the times. Signs like these are very efficient and adaptable. We need to not treat this as a trivial problem but a complex problem.“

County Commissioner Ron Getman said Lee County is a good example for Manatee. ”They limit the number of times per minute they can change,“ he said.

Another problem Getman noted was the preponderance of small signs advertising homes or mortgages that litter intersections. ”It is ugly and causes a lot of complaints,“ he said, adding, ”code enforcement is doing a great job keeping them down.“

George Mendez of the Planning Commission said he has a problem with signs that don’t conform to the windstorm code as well as the Civic Center sign. ”I have always had a problem with sign pollution. I saw 76 signs from Runaway Bay, and most were no parking,“ he said. ”We're talking about the unincorporated county, and I wish I could get other jurisdictions involved. A lot of signs are up that don't meet code, and will cause damage in a hurricane. A noncoforming sign either needs to come down or conform to the wind rating.“

Along with discussions of the Ellenton Outlet Mall and talk about people not being able to find it because of confusing signage from I-75, commissioners said that it’s a business issue in other parts of the county, too.

Not only that, Getman said, he’s gotten letters from companies that put up signs without checking on their legality. ”Over the past years, I've had businesses put up signs without checking if they were legal, and then called me to save their $150,000 sign,“ he said. ”We need to make sign companies aware.“

”We should invite them to come to a meeting and be part of the solution,“ said County Commissioner Carol Whitmore.