At the very least we can be assured that the former Vancouver USA – now iQ Credit Union – twirling rooftop sign will remain. And, just the same, so will the Vancouver Ford videorama lording over SR-500.
But moving forward, a city of Vancouver sign code overhaul will more tightly regulate certain kinds of signs – namely electronic message centers.
The Vancouver City Council will meet for the second reading of the new sign codes on Monday, Feb. 25
More restrictive than the county ordinance, the new codes will allow electronic message centers – those signs that flash or scroll a message, photos or images – to take up just 20 percent of a sign’s overall size in Vancouver’s commercial and industrial districts.
Previously, EMCs were limited to 10 percent of the sign face in commercial districts and were banned in all residential areas, where – if the ordinances are adopted – they can now be half of a sign face, capped at 16 square feet.
The Planning Commission had proposed banning them completely but was divided on the issue.
The overall tightening of the code is useful and will cut down on the ability for businesses and sign companies to mislead, be misled or slip through loop holes.
But in terms of electronic message centers, while regulating the time, place and manner of EMCs is typical and useful, restricting them to 20 percent of a sign in commercial districts seems unnecessary, given that it is 50 percent in the county.
Taking into account the relatively high cost of an EMC, they aren’t likely to be used widely in a community like Vancouver.
Electronic message centers are the best, most efficient way to get more than one message to customers, while helping companies avoid posting multiple signs. The city council and the planning commission should be forward-thinking. Track signage hasn’t gone the way of the dodo (think “Chicken sandwich – only $2.99”), but it should.
Vancouver Ford’s sign, though out of compliance with the new codes with its height, size and video, will be grandfathered in, because signs are like anything else: If it was built under a set of guidelines, it is allowed to exist under those guidelines until a major renovation takes place.
However, where you can’t shorten a sign pole, make a sign smaller or change the placement of a sign without a major cost and time investment, the content of EMCs can come into compliance much more easily and inexpensively. Owners of EMCs are allowed to continue to upgrade technology, and when they do, that technology could easily come in line with the current codes.
Vancouver Ford’s sign will be grandfathered because it met the requirements of the time and those will stand. Nevertheless, the city of Vancouver should embrace the technology of the day and use it to the community’s advantage rather than enforcing technology in the same way it would enforce a structure. Now that would be forward thinking.
As an aside, the committee that has been working on the new codes is made up mainly of sign company representatives. Both city officials and sign company representatives have said that many efforts were made to get other citizens or business owners involved in the process, to no avail. Business decision makers must get involved in these processes. The committee was largely made up of sign company reps – who have to know and utilize the code, so it makes sense – but businesses are those who benefit most from a well written and useful sign code.
