For years there has been a critical demand within the sign industry for a book on the structural engineering of signs. This comprehensive text more than meets that demand -- it exceeds it. Sign companies, ...
A balanced perspective would benefit everyone.
James Carpentier, AICP, is a former director of government relations for YESCO (Salt Lake City) with 25 years’ experience as a planner. He now owns Carpentier Consulting LLC, which provides sign-code and entitlement services to the sign industry, sign associations, development community and the public sector.
As a planner, I’ve gained extensive experience in both the public and private sectors, in roles ranging from zoning administrator to director of planning and zoning. This planning experience, combined with my recent experience as director of government relations for YESCO, has given me a unique view of the sign industry. Because I understand both the sign-industry challenges and the planner’s perspective, I believe I can create bridges and win-win scenarios between these sometimes adversarial groups.
Electronic message centers (EMCs) are now entrenched in the fabric of the American society. As this technology’s cost recedes, and the business community better understands EMC economic benefits, communities will feel increasing pressure to allow them. Everyone benefits if the sign industry, planners and communities can jointly adopt a balanced approach and understanding of EMCs.
What planners know
Planners typically have little or no specific signage training (that was certainly my case), let alone any regarding EMCs. Most planners obtain signage knowledge on the job. As a young intern, working for the City of Neenah’s (WI) planning department, I was tasked with revising the sign code. I knew next to nothing about what I was empowered to regulate. Often, the least experienced planner is given this task. Despite my lack of experience and knowledge, I somehow drafted a code. I did one thing correctly. I asked the local sign association to review the draft. This fostered a much better sign code.
Typically, when a planner begins to revise a sign code, advice is gathered from adjacent communities, the American Planning Assn. (APA) and other resources. Relying on adjacent communities can create problems, because sign codes can be outdated or simply not applicable. Sign regulations entail numerous issues: complex legal considerations, legibility, aesthetic considerations, economic impacts, registered trademarks, nonconforming signs, permitting and administration. They’re multifaceted, so they deserve great care and consideration. Instead, they’re often treated as afterthoughts.