![\"The](\"http:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/10\/oldbldg2-336x506.jpg\")
<\/a>Karen Tam \/ Raleigh Public Record<\/p>
The Mecca restaurant sign downtown. <\/p><\/div><\/p>\n
Councilors will continue to nominate people for the 10-person task force for the next week. Then, Councilors Wayne Maiorano, Gaylord and Thomas Crowder will work together to form the official committee.<\/p>\n
Gaylord said the group doesn\u2019t have to fully discuss all of the problems, but the group should be able to bring back a report that the Council can act on later. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe can decide on whether to act on them or act on specific ones,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
\u201cI think that\u2019s opening up the whole sign ordinance, and I have a problem with that, too,\u201d said Crowder. \u201cOur sign ordinance has served us extremely well.\u201d<\/p>\n
Councilor John Odom, who staunchly opposed the city\u2019s sign ordinance for years, said the entire law needs to be reviewed. Odom said he gets complaints about the ordinance every day. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe haven\u2019t done this in 30-some years,\u201d Odom said. <\/p>\n
Gaylord said the entire Council is going to have a problem if they refuse to listen to the feedback from the community. <\/p>\n
\u201cWe should at least gather the information,\u201d he said. <\/p>\n
McFarlane said she wants to hear if there are issues that come up consistently, but worries that asking for input may set up false expectations that the entire law will be reviewed and revamped in the near future. <\/p>\n
Councilor Russ Stephenson suggested a two-step process: First, a discussion of the issue initially assigned to the task force, which is the permit process and signs in windows. Then, the Council could decide how much time they have to commit to the second list of issues that may come out of the discussion. <\/p>\n
Tree Ordinances Could be in Jeopardy<\/strong> The draft legislation was recommended by the Agriculture and Forestry Awareness Study Commission for introduction during the N.C. General Assembly\u2019s short session, which begins this month. <\/p>\n If approved, the law would remove the city\u2019s authority to regulate trees on private property. The city requires tree conservation for properties that are more than two acres and those in watershed protection districts. In some cases, the city also requires the planting of trees that act as buffers between properties. <\/p>\n
\nRaleigh\u2019s tree ordinances could be in jeopardy if ![\"tree\"](\"http:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/04\/tornado_anniversary0412_17.jpg\")
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