Jumbo Real Estate Signs - I Protest

Please Don’t Put That In My Back Yard!

Most municipalities have some kind of sign ordinance. Boise County is no exception.

I quote the ordinance:

“It is also the intent of this chapter to preserve the rural character by not allowing flashing, reader boards or outsized billboards but to encourage artistic design and creativity through simple effective signage. Therefore, the intent is to promote rural character and not a city center appearance in the county… Residents and tourists will notice the improvements this makes to the general appearance of Boise County.”

Most signage I see in Garden Valley meets the ordinance size and location requirements, except for a few direction signs. Most of those violators are out of area agents. Local agents seem to work hard to obey the laws and be courteous.

It’s true the ordinance allows for a maximum 32 square feet “for sale” sign. Sellers like the largest possible sign to insure that their property is not overlooked. Agents who offer these largest signs stand out as providing expanded services to sellers.

In my opinion the Jumbo sign is unnecessary and inappropriate. Statistics show that 80% of property buyers are shopping on the internet. Most internet savvy buyers are using Google Maps to focus in on property locations. These buyers need only a small, readable, obviously placed sign to confirm they have followed the map correctly. Granted this is often a clumsy solution in Garden Valley. This leads the unsuccessful navigator to stop by the Real Estate office to be guided to available properties. The result is the Realtor has the buyer in the car, as a captive audience, and is selling the property.

Is it really necessary? There is not a lot of visual competition for signs in Garden Valley. In the city there are signs everywhere. Advertisements, billboards, park benches, business signs, construction signs, so many that it’s hard to find the one you are looking for in the congestion. Even the small amount of drive-by shoppers in the Garden Valley market must be able to see well enough to pass the drivers test. So why do they need to read the sign from a mile away?

I wake up every morning to delight in the views of mountains, forest, streams, birds and all the panorama that Garden Valley has to offer. It would be reprehensible to wake some morning to find a “creative and artistic” 32 square foot sign replacing my current view.

Let me propose the ordinance be amended to modify the “for sale” sign maximum size to be 4 square feet. I believe this will better meet the intent of the ordinance, preserving the beauty that is Garden Valley.

Instead of listing their homes with the Brokerage with the biggest signs, sellers can hire the Brokerage with the most signs!