BRENHAM OFFICIALS RECEIVE INPUT ON CITY SIGNAGE
Several local business owners came to Brenham City Hall Thursday afternoon to bring up their thoughts on signage around the city.
City Development Services staff met with community members in an effort to get input towards creating a new sign ordinance.
The city’s current ordinance dates back to 1981, and does not define many types of signs that can be used. As a result, many signs are prohibited.
Assistant Development Services Director Stephanie Doland is looking to adopt an ordinance that allows for different types of signs, outlining specifics for ground, wall, and digital signs. Doland said the city’s previously proposed ordinance in 2013 had over 60 types of signs, but she believed this would likely be too many.
Doland encouraged the public to provide feedback on topics like if the city should limit sign areas based on zoning districts, preferences between pole and monument signs, and how electronic signs should be regulated based on size, color, and brightness.
One attendee stepped forward and presented concerns about how the city’s current ordinance has been enforced, and how the new one would be different. When asked why the city was making efforts to change the ordinance seemingly all of a sudden, City Engineer Lori Sanguedolce said, per the direction of city council, “We’re trying to fix things, and see what the community wants”.
Another community member said they were not interested in having signs governed by “fashion police”. Assistant City Manager Lowell Ogle responded that the city needs to regulate signs to some point, but it just needs to find out what that point is.
Doland said this input process will assist in modernizing the ordinance. She said the city will spend the next month or so to gather feedback and create a draft, which will then be given to Brenham Planning and Zoning, and eventually city council.
Doland intends to have a draft ordinance for the council to review at their meeting on January 10th, although she admitted that was an “ambitious” goal. Doland, along with Ogle, said the draft will be available on the city’s website when it is ready.