The City Picked up my Sign Again!

I'm working on sign codes, Ugh.

In a recent post I invited Realtors to leave comments about sign codes and I've had a few comments. MORe has invited local brokers to comment and to be honest, the response has been underwhelming.

Three Activerainers left me pretty good comments and I'm posting my reply here tonight. Again, in Committee meetings I know there are strong feelings about sign issues.  Jeez, we ended up talking about lights and those little solar lights for at least an hour in Committee. Here is my reply to blog comments:

Thank you all for your comments. Believe me, you are not alone in your concerns about on premise signs and off site directional (open house) signs.

MORe's Government Affairs Committee met for two and half hours last week to start to tackle this issue. We looked at four examples of sign codes: LaGrange, Burr Ridge, Downers Grove, and Carol Stream. Each represented a different market, a different era of ordinance writing, a different rule for residential signs. The Committee also brought in their signs so we could take measurements and also talk to sign company representatives about what is currently available to agents.

We formed a draft document and shared it with the Board of Directors, who agreed that this issue is too important to rush. The Committee is going to spend some time talking to brokers in our areas and finding out how they feel about the size of signs and all those other issues.

• Kevin and Sherry Spengel, we are looking closely at directional signs. We have an old directional sign model, but the problem is that it doesn't hold water if challenged in court. The towns know this and they usually won't pass it. In short, the courts have said that sign codes need to be "content neutral." Towns should be writing an ordinance for any sign in the parkway (garage sale, builder signs, get a date over 40 all get lumped in with RE signs) and shouldn't treat one message as different from another message. Simply First Amendment law.
• Gene Allen, We have always encouraged our members to follow the local law, and when using directional signs to pull their signs as soon as the open house closes. Of course, we have some members who leave their signs up longer. This, of course, causes a problem for all the agents who do follow the law. I suspect that is an issue for every Realtor Association across the nation.
• Bob Elliot, Technically if a municipality allows right-of-way signs they allow them for all (see comments above). For most of my 130 towns these signs are illegal, but tacitly allowed. Of course, when the village gets a citizen (or broker) complaint, they crack down on all rather than talk to complaintant and complainee (sic).

How would you guys like an on site (for sale sign) size of 8 square feet? That should allow the standard size sign and a couple of riders. One sign per street frontage? For directional signs, max of four per open house enough? Are your directional signs all less than 36 inches high? I'm thinking about concerns that signs on the corner can block vehicle traffic sight lines.

Please feel free to leave more comments or concerns. I'm trying to create a proposal that I can pitch to some of our towns and maybe get at least some of our needs addressed.