City Moves Forward With Business Signs Committee After Workshop

The Poway City Council asked staff to move forward with creating a committee after hearing a report on citywide sign regulations at its regular meeting Tuesday night.

The report, which was delivered by Director of Development Services Bob Manis, focused on signs and banners that businesses display to draw customers, as well as campaign signs seen around election time.

The latest trend in advertising signs are what Manis called flag banners, which are popping up all over Poway. They resemble a flag pole that is curved at the top, with a flag-like fabric that flaps in the breeze. They’re popular with car dealerships and strip malls that line them along the sidewalk, but they do not comply with the Poway Municipal Code.

“They kind of cross the definition of a flag and a banner,” Manis said. “But when you look at the regulations for banners, which is more applicable, they’re not allowed because banners have to be attached to the building.”

Another popular sign businesses use but are not allowed are sandwich boards, which are commonly placed on a sidewalk in front of a business. Typically made of two pieces of plywood joined at the top, they can present a safety hazard if they’re placed in a bad spot.

“I will have to admit that the city tries to be a little lenient on things like this,” Manis said. “If they’re keeping it close to their entrance we usually let it go unless we get complaints or if we see it’s moving out into the trafficway.”

The political campaign signs that sprout everywhere during election seasons were discussed, and Manis said the code allows for most of those signs.

“What you see on the (street) corners is permitted. We don’t put a limit on the number,” Manis said. “The size limit is 32 square feet, but most of the ones we see are smaller, in the 4- to 6-square-foot range. They need to be in the right-of-way past the curb. They’re not allowed in parks, they are not allowed in public buildings or other public facilities. They’re not allowed in medians. So there are some limitations.”

Councilman Jim Cunningham said he is a big advocate of regulating campaign signs and said he supports reducing their size and requiring a deposit to ensure they’re removed after Election Day.

“If you’re going to put signs in the public way in your city, then you need to pay a deposit,” Cunningham said. “And that deposit will be returned if your signs are taken down 72 hours after the campaign. If they’re not, we keep your deposit and we keep your signs.”

The workshop was meant to give city staff guidance on how to move forward with revisions to the city’s sign code, which was considered to be restrictive toward businesses at a business summit held on Jan. 26. At the suggestion of staff, an advisory committee will be formed that would examine the sign code and make recommendations to the City Council.

As of now, City Manager Penny Riley said that Poway has two employees who enforce sign regulations.

In other council business:

• Council approved a resolution ratifying the transfer of Fire Station 3 from the Redevelopment Agency to the City of Poway. It appeared on the consent calendar, which consists of items that are considered routine or self-explanatory and are voted on in one motion. Nobody requested that the resolution be moved from the consent calendar to the agenda.
• Council approved a request to subdivide a 3.51-acre site into three 1-acre lots on the southern end of Iris Lane was approved, as was a request to subdivide a 1.5-acre parcel at 13347 Olive Tree Lane into two lots.
• Michael Rennie, executive director for the Poway Center for the Performing Arts Foundation, accepted a check for $14,000 from AT&T.
• The Poway High School Key Club presented a $250 donation to the P.L.A.Y Recreation Scholarship Fundraising Campaign.