Madison plans to update their 27-year-old sign code

According to the Wisconsin State Journal, the town of Madison will be reviewing, revising and updating their sign code. It has taken them 12 years to arrive at this decision. The city has been working on the revision since 1997, when former Mayor Sue Bauman created a special staff team to address a problem with the number of ground signs allowed on zoning lots. The update has taken years due to changes in staff, UDC membership and other priorities such as the new Downtown plan and overhaul of the zoning code, officials said. Though this process has taken 12 years to get underway, it appears that they are really adamant about making the changes happen.

The update seeks to strike a balance between First Amendment rights, fast-changing technology, creativity and visual pollution. The attempt to allow more creativity will help, Woods said. "If it's a good looking sign, we'll approve it." However, there will still be strong restrictions on electronic message boards and the code for billboard signs will remain the same. It appears that, when it comes to electronic message boards, there seems to be mixed opinions. While some seem to think the signs are a tremendous tool for businesses, there have been many who disagree.

"Signs should be about identification, not advertising," Barnett said, noting that some members of the UDC would like to prohibit message boards. "The boards are also visually distracting," he said.

"I personally don't see the need for them," said UDC chairman Bruce Woods, a landscape architect. “Some flash advertisements for things like six rolls of toilet paper for 99 cents. Do we really need to know that?"

Despite the controversy over electronic signage, I am glad to see that some cities are willing to re-address the sign codes. For many cities and states the sign codes are down right difficult to comprehend, not to mention highly restrictive. And yet others have banned the use of certain types of signage all together. Where the sign codes in this little town may mean nothing to many others, in the sign industry we can see it as a small step into the light. Hopefully, where one might lead, others will be willing to follow.

Gwynn~

For more information on this story, click here. Original story by Dean Mosiman of the Wisconsin State Journal.