Last Thursday night @AZSurprise Planning and Zoning Commission heard the update from staff and listened to public comments concerning the proposed Surprise Sign Ordinance changes to Wall Mounted and Free-Standing Signs. These sign types include window signs, pole signs, directory signs, monument signs, wall signs on a building as well as on a subdivision, Archway signs, canopy signs and blade signs.
I and six WeMAR members attended this meeting. Thank you to those who attended. It helps us when members take the time to attend, showing support for our suggestions and concerns.
For those of us who have been speaking with city staff since last year, it was gratifying to see how our comments, comments at the public meetings and other stakeholders were noted, listened to and acted upon.
In our initial comments and several times since, we have asked the city to use the science of the visual arc, legibility and visibility as a basis for signage. We even suggested the city consider a minimum sign size so that signage could be appropriately seen. The city took this and other suggestion to heart and has been consulting with a representative of the International Sign Association, James Carpentier. Mr. Carpentier has been helpful in determining lines of sight initially and over time, particularly as landscaping grows.
One of the more interesting parts of the discussion had to do with the city noting the current landscaping ordinance may need to be changed to allow adequate visual sight lines as trees grow, so that monument and wall signs do not become obscured over time.
The city staff is proposing adding archway signs and blade signs to the code as well, further enhancing the type and kinds of signs, and allowing more creativity for business owners.
The Planning and Zoning Commissioners were attentive, asked questions and made sound suggestions throughout the presentation.
I was pleased to hear staff and the Commissioners state on several occasions that signage should be legible and visible from many angles and locations so that passersby can easily identify the business. If you missed the meeting, you can access the slides below and read the July 3rd WeMARGAD post to read the staff report and public comments.
Slides for City Sign_Code_07-06-17_PZWS_Presentation
Future meetings of the Planning and Zoning Commission:
July 20, 2017 – Billboards, Freeway Signs and Electronic Message Centers (EMCs)
August 3, 2017 – Temporary Signs
September 7, 2017 – Open Discussion and Summary of Revisions