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Business owners in Millwood’s historical district had been putting up portable signs in front of their shops for years – until last February.
It was then that a letter from the city’s new compliance officer went out, alerting merchants that the “sandwich board signs” would need to be removed or proprietors would face a fine from City Hall.
“There were a lot of people who were very upset,” said Greg Mott, who runs the Corner Door on Argonne. “We heard nothing whatsoever prior to those letters going out.”
Business owners expressed their grievances through calls, letters and e-mails. Millwood officials responded by placing a moratorium on the policy, though, for many, the effect on sales could already be seen.
“People pulled their signs and it really had a negative impact on business,” said Bobbie Beese, a property owner in the historic district.
To make matters worse, many business owners never received the notice informing them of the temporary hold on the more stringent standards. That confusion wasn’t cleared up until Millwood Mayor Dan Mork hand-delivered the letters to each commercial site affected by the code enforcement.
“I really wish they would have come to the business owners at first,” Mott said.
While Mork admitted he should have included some mention of the code compliance in the city newsletter before the letters went out, he said opinions over the portable signs were “split 50-50.”
“A number of people saw them as a nuisance and safety hazard,” he said.
A reworking of Title 21 in the city’s municipal code – the section outlining sign regulations – was soon underway. For close to a year, the Millwood Planning Commission received feedback from business owners on potential changes to portable displays and other sign statutes. Before the final ordinance reached the City Council, Tom Richardson, Millwood’s planning director, sent out 50 copies of a rough draft to business owners, asking for additional input.
“I’m happy with the way it worked out,” Mott said. “The city was interested in what we had to say.”
At Monday’s City Council meeting, Richardson presented Ordinance 377 for final review. The document amends sign provisions in the municipal code, “making provisions for temporary signs, portable signs, nonconforming signs and amending the procedures and criteria for the approval of special sign permits.” The council approved the ordinance unanimously.
“This is not a complete rewrite of the sign chapter,” Richardson said. “But it does address issues like the size, location and setbacks of signs.”
The portable signs that created the controversy back in February are addressed in the “Temporary Signs” section. The ordinance states that a nonilluminated sign is permitted in front of a business as long as it does not obstruct a public pathway nor exceed a height of 4 feet or an overall area of 8 square feet. The signs are also allowed only during business hours.
“We’ve always had a provision for temporary signs,” Richardson said. “We’re just recommending they be in certain places.”
Richardson acknowledged that regulations for “special promotion signs” – which cannot be displayed for more than 30 consecutive days in any three-month period and not more than 60 days in any calendar year may not go over well with local merchants, especially car dealers with ongoing sale events.
“I’m sure this won’t make a lot of businesses happy, but this is what you see in a lot of other jurisdictions,” Richardson said.
In other council news:
- The city received word from the Transportation Improvement Board that a $108,000 grant for sidwalk upgrades will be included in the Argonne Road Improvement project. The council will hear an update on the project at its next meeting on Jan. 5.
- Residents in the area of Empire and Fowler roads continued to express concern over speeding vehicles and the lack of traffic lights and striping in the area. Mork suggested the city bring in a traffic engineer to address the problem. The mayor said he would also invite Spokane County Sheriff Ozzie Knezovich to meet with residents of the affected neighborhoods.
- A renovation project at Millwood City Hall is expected to be finished in the next two weeks, Mork said. Improvements to the kitchen, back hallway and office totaling $4,450 were recently added to the overall project.
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By
Craig Howard
