Signs Draw More Attention

Billboards and garage sale signs were a major topic during last weeks city council meeting as new guidelines were put in place for regulating both.

Last month Canton Code Enforcement Officer Coy Prather brought proposals before the council which caused much of the conversation, but got little resolved until this week.

In an effort to keep Canton looking clean and keep signs under control Prather undertook reworking the sign ordinance.

"Most of the bigger cities are eliminating billboards all together," Prather said.

He explained that many large cities purchase billboards in order to "do away with them," but smaller cities like Canton can not afford that option.

"There are 350 cities in the state that are either limiting or not allowing new billboards," he said. "So that is the trend around the state is that billboards are going away."

Prather said that Texas Department of Transportation limits the size of a billboard which is 660 square feet per side, therefore he recommended putting a size limit on signs.

The new ordinance only allows for a sign to be 660 feet on Interstate 20, the number of billboards are limited to the number now in existence, and the sign owner receives one credit per side on removal of a legal billboard.

Also, the sign owner may use two credits to add a new legal billboard of similar size along I-20 (alternate would be to allow credits to be used in other areas), and non-conforming billboards would remain until obsolete, unsafe or 60 percent destroyed.

Canton Main Street Executive Director Mercy Rushing explained that because Canton is a Main Street city they can adopt an ordinance that would restrict the downtown business area from having billboards.

"You can exclude the downtown central business district and come up with some sign ordinance for that area," she said. "Mineola had that and it worked out great. Once a billboard is non-conforming or becomes dilapidated then they can not put them up again."

On garage sales last month Prather proposed to the council a sign/permit system which the city of Gun Barrel uses.

"Under the current ordinance they are not allowed to put signs off premise or in the right of way anywhere. They can just have a sign in their yard," Prather said. "…I was trying to look at a way to help the garage sale people out."

"I thought they had the best system over there," Prather said.

During last months meeting Prather proposed the idea to the council which would allow for city residents to purchase their permit from the city at which time they would be issued a sign. They would then be allowed to purchase up to five city issued signs to use advertising their garage sale.

Two of the signs may be used at their property and the other signs may be used on private property by owner’s consent only and not in public right of ways or on utility poles. The signs must also be removed after the sale or a fine would be issued.

The proposed sign is international orange, and includes a large area for the address of the sale.

Prather said the sign cost would be offered at $2 each.

"This is a uniform sign and that means you know that person has a permit and it’s not just a piece of cardboard out there on a stake," Prather said.

Prather told of two instances in the last two weeks where people have put out an excessive amount of signs.

"Right now with them putting out their own signs, it is practically unenforceable," Prather said.

The council voted to give citizens one sign when they purchase their permit and allow them to purchase up to 10 signs. They will then be issued a permit number which should be placed on the sign in a visible location. The signs will then be allowed for reuse, but the new permit number must be used each time.

Also a different color sign will be assigned for those purchasing a permit for estate sales.

"It will remove a lot of visual clutter around town," Prather said of the new ordinance. "It will make Canton a lot prettier than it already is."