![\"An](\"http:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-content\/uploads\/2013\/11\/ArmadilloGrillSign-771x433.jpg\")
Staff \/ Raleigh Public Record<\/p>
An interior sign just off Glenwood Avenue.<\/p><\/div>\n
The task force, which has been meeting weekly with city staff, told councilors they recommended increasing the allowed window space from 30 to 50 percent.<\/p>\n
Jennifer Martin, who chaired the task force, also told councilors they should increase the number of colors allowed, which is currently limited three plus black & white, to seven plus black & white.<\/p>\n
Recommendations were also made to create limits on allowed vehicular signage, which would be any sign attached to a vehicle or an accessory to a vehicle, such as a trailer. It will not apply to food trucks, fleet vehicles, maintenance vehicles or rental vehicles.<\/p>\n
Vehicular signage will be permitted as a general use in a number of districts, including office and institution, buffer commercial, shopping center, neighborhood business zone, thoroughfare and industrial one and two.<\/p>\n
The task force also noted that string lighting should be prohibited within 100 feet of a residential district, with an exception between November and January.<\/p>\n
Overly Restrictive<\/strong> Richard Gardner, the owner of ComedyWorx on Peace Street, said he could lose customers if he was not allowed to use his window as signage.<\/p>\n \u201cIf ComedyWorx loses one sale per show, that\u2019s an $8,000 annual loss, it\u2019s a hidden tax.\u201d Gardner said.<\/p>\n Gardner cited several studies that found large window signage was not detrimental to public safety \u2014 be it motorist distraction or reduced visibility \u2014 and said allowing window signage was incredibly beneficial.<\/p>\n \u201cSigns are the most effective and least expensive way to advertise,\u201d Gardner said.<\/p>\n Gardner presented councilors with a petition signed by 300 people opposing restrictions on window signage.<\/p>\n Councilor John Odom agreed with some of Gardner\u2019s sentiments, noting that a regulation on the size of window signage was equivalent to \u201cgoing inside a business.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s like going into your home,\u201d Odom said.<\/p>\n No Past Harm<\/strong> Developer Bill Mullins, a member of the task force, said when the initial regulations were<\/p>\n Courtesy North Carolina Archives<\/p> Fayetteville Street, Raleigh July 7 1957, a time before more restrictive sign ordinances<\/p><\/div>\n put into place, \u201cmy immediate reaction was that they were odorous and severe.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI thought it would damage our business, I felt that way for a number of years then realized all my competitors had to conform to them as well,\u201d Mullins said.<\/p>\n \u201cI think the sign ordinance has been a good thing in the past for Raleigh, and I think what\u2019s being presented s a good compromise.\u201d<\/p>\n Mayor Nancy McFarlane proposed the task force recommendations be passed to a subcommittee consisting of members of the planning and appearance commissions for further study.<\/p>\n \u201cBoth bodies bring good, different perspectives to the issue, we\u2019ll ask them to consider this and report back in,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Raleigh\u2019s signage task force presented city council with recommendations on updating the Unified Development Ordinance to allow for more permissive sign regulations.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":24005,"featured_media":21458,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4,15],"tags":[1604],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21982"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/24005"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=21982"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/21982\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/21458"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=21982"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=21982"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=21982"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nAlthough the task force recommended regulations less restrictive than those already on the books, many business owners are still unsatisfied with the results.<\/p>\n
\nCouncilman Thomas Crowder noted that similar arguments had been made when Raleigh first began implementing more restrictive sign ordinances years ago, and that instead of hurting business, \u201cthe opposite has happened.\u201d<\/p>\n![\"Fayetteville](\"http:\/\/theraleighcommons.org\/raleighpublicrecord\/wp-content\/uploads\/2014\/04\/N_76_9_2508-Fayetteville-Street-Raleigh-NC-July-7-19591.jpg\")