The Virginian-Pilot
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VIRGINIA BEACH
Videos of hamburgers, scrolling interest rates and flashing Bible study ads would be out. But a City Council proposal floated Tuesday would allow electronic signs that are toned down.
The Beach has been wrestling with how to regulate proliferating - and some say gaudy - light-emitting diode signs, or LEDs. Currently there are no rules for them and about 100 have sprung up across the city, especially at fast-food restaurants, churches, schools and gas stations.
City Manager Jim Spore and garden groups are calling for a ban, but the City Council is leaning toward allowing the signs with restrictions. A final vote is scheduled for March 23. The issue is different from the electronic billboard debate that will come before the City Council later this year.
Under the new regulations drawn up by a council subcommittee, LEDs would be restricted to text. Moving images would be prohibited. The messages could change every 30 seconds. The regulations would also limit the signs to two colors on a dark background. An exception would be made for company logos, which could contain multiple colors. LED signs near neighborhoods would have to be turned off at 10 p.m.
"If we're going to have them, let's make them as aesthetically pleasing as possible," said Councilman Glenn Davis, a member of the subcommittee.
But, some after the meeting asked, why allow LEDs at all?
"They're distracting, they're ugly and they're not conducive to our resort city," said Glenda Knowles, president of the Virginia Beach Beautification Commission.
Reba McClanan, former councilwoman and president of the Virginia Beach Council of Garden Clubs, agreed. "We're on the road to cluttering up the city," she said.
If adopted, the rules would apply only to new signs. But the City Council might ask owners of existing signs to comply with the new rules.
"There's nothing stopping us from sending them a letter" asking them out of courtesy to please comply, said Councilwoman Rosemary Wilson, also on the subcommittee.
New rules would break a backlog of more than 20 applications for LED signs that were delayed while city planners waited for the regulations.
The delay has frustrated business owners like Bill Ciccone, who with his wife owns Great Neck Florist and Gifts. The couple submitted an application in June for a LED sign, he said.
Ciccone said he wanted a sign up by Valentine's Day to boost sales.
"We lost God knows how much money," he said. "It's frustrating because now we might not even have it up by Mother's Day."
Aaron Applegate, (757) 222-5122, aaron.applegate@pilotonline.com
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no class
VB already suffers from distopion tract housing as far as the eye can see, just part of the poorly planned sprawl, a la green run (no offense, but lets keep it real).
It has nice things too, like its waterways, beaches, and Lack Of Tasteless Signs! Of all the projects the city pours millions and millions into every year, I think it's worth the few million not to be surrounded by endless "wawa turkey sandwiches r back" and "by your new used car" signs when you travel the expressway.
I have no problem with the
I have no problem with the signs. I like the one that Roving Auto has on Rosemont and South Plaza. I think that some businesss that have them may be persuaded to post Amber Alerts, or some sort of public message etc... I am fine with them.
Signs
I give the city employees two thumbs up. I recently complained about the inequity of the rule allowing people to stand out in front of their business in costume advertising for the business. I complained about the inequity of them allowing Liberty Tax Service to do it for years. They changed the rule as a result. Now, I hope the city council doesn't restrict digital signage. However, if they leave it up the the city employees to figure out you can expect a fair and equitable solution. I actually think the digital signs look far more professional and modern than some of the trashy signs you see from many businesses in the area. Somebody remind the garden clubs that businesses pay a lot of $$ in taxes.
Someone look up how much
Someone look up how much money spent on the sign that is at the convention center. If I recall there is a two sided, poor quality one there. There is also a poor quality one at the Sandler Center. By poor quality I mean low dot pitch.
BTW, the McDonalds one actually looks okay.
Businesses need signage. It's just the way it is. I know that businesses in Virginia Beach put their names on vehicles and park those near the road just so customers can find the places, because the sign laws are strict and don't fit all situations.
Also, while we're at it, please legalize RGB LED ground effects kits under vehicles. I love mine!
they are rather distracting
I pass by one of these 2x per day on my way to and from work. Its in front of the newer Ogden Bldg on Princess Anne Rd near Timberlake Dr. When it first activated, I thought there was an accident as I approached because of all the colors of lights flickering, Now its just gaudy (sp?) looking. Its a pretty big sign for the few businesses in the bldg itself. Just MO.
Really?
The LED sign are tacky. Like the signs at the oceanfront banning bad language are not! Hell you can't even enforce the signs at the oceanfront, but we have them!
I can not wait until election time!!!!
give me a break!!!
I don’t know about the rest of you, but I am getting pretty scared of living in Virginia Beach-it's becoming a dictatorship!!! Pretty soon we will need permission to pick curtains for own homes!! I mean really LED signs, we have bigger problems! The signs aren’t bad and if a business owner wants to buy them-then fine. We already have laws about how high a sign can be, so where is the problem? We have roads with pot holes ,schools can’t keep paper flowing in copiers and the list goes on! let's worry about that, not silly signs!!
tax them
How about putting a tax or fee on the signs. That will raise revenue and limit the amount of signs at the same time. We can then use the money to fix potholes.
No...No
VB council does not TAX things. They add FEES. Totally different.
Don't confuse the terms.
Taxes & Fees....same thing.
Don't confuse Taxes & Fees? OK, it's the same "collection" tactic. Fees can (and will) be disputed. It's just coming to a point where VB is not a place to live anymore. How much waste of time on MENIAL "signs" did City Council spend that they could've spent on some other WORTHY projects that needed review? This is what ticks me off. TERMINATE ALL of City Council and start over....let's hire people with Common $en$e and move forward. VB is already becoming a Welfare dumping ground so it's time to get out of here....quickly!