Note: This is a copy of a Jan. 28 letter from the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce that was received by the Municipal Planning Commission during a recent public hearing on electronic signs.
On Aug. 23, 2012, the City’s Community Development Director sent a letter to the Oak Ridge Chamber of Commerce requesting Development Forum help in clarifying and updating the city’s electronic reader board (moving copy) sign regulations. The Forum first discussed this issue with Community Development staff on Sept. 6 and provided broad feedback associated with issues such as light intensity and the need to incorporate new sign technologies into the city’s regulations. The Chamber remained in contact with city staff, but proposed language was not provided until December.
Since then, the Development Forum and representatives of the Oak Ridge Business Coalition have collaborated in discussions associated with proposed revisions to the city sign ordinance pertaining to reader board signs (moving copy signs). It is our shared opinion that:
- Moving copy signs are a reality in today’s marketplace and can lead to increased sales volumes for merchants that employ them. Their responsible use should be allowed in Oak Ridge rather than prohibited.
- In order to encourage responsible use, city code should be written in a way that the measures are explicit and not subjective. Any reasonable person should be able to judge compliance with the same result.
Specifically, it is our position that:
- Time of display — Revisions to the ordinance should focus on minimum time of display rather than maximum. Messages displayed on moving copy signs should be depicted for a minimum of four seconds. Fade-out, animation, or other types of movement during and between messages should be allowed.
- Animation, video, etc. — Video, animation, or other movement should be permitted as part of business advertising. Live streaming video should be permitted. Strobe-light effects should be prohibited.
- Light intensity — Lower light intensity at night is a good idea. The group concurs with city staff recommendations regarding light intensity (maximum 10,000 nits during daylight hours/1,000 nits at night). Applications for moving copy sign permits should be accompanied by documentation verifying sign capabilities and brightness.
Peggy Tiner says
I think most people are capable of ignoring signs in order to drive safely; however, I have doubts that such signs attract customers.
Peter Scheffler says
I would like to see examples of the signs favored by the Chamber of Commerce. Can anyone direct me to them? It may be that such signs could be allowed in some areas but not others. Perhaps the Chamber could produce a video of such examples and present it at a public forum or on the community TV channel.
Also, I wonder how one determines that the signs lead to increased sales volumes. Is it compared to sales of similar businesses in the same area which do not use the signs? If so, what happens when all the businesses in that area use the signs? Would there have to be continual escalation? In that situation, the only businesses with constantly increased volume would be the sign companies themselves. Do Oak Ridge residents go to Knoxville for purchases just because the signs in Knoxville have moving copy? Would a resident of Farragut (which does not allow the signs but seems to be doing well economically) shop in Oak Ridge just because our signs have moving copy?
Abbey Nelson says
There are electronic billboards these days (certainly evidence that motion is effective) like the one that can be seen by Oak Ridgers who drive to Knoxville via Solway on their way to shop. And perhaps if you had ever tried to operate a business without signs you could understand their significance. They serve as advertising as well as for identification/location purposes. Oak Ridge has long been seen as business unfriendly and this is why. It is changing its ways, and successfully; however, there are still those who want more business but aren’t willing to make the necessary sacrifices that come with it.
Anne Gacia Garland says
The signs are allowed. Have been in specific zoning for years. The problem is that businesses with permits to have these signs have begun to ignore the rules regarding them. The city missed an opportunity to restrict such signs on Melton Lake Drive which is, in my opinion, unfortunate because of the residential areas and the walkways, But the rules have said all along: no moving copy, no flashing, no scrolling, no fade-in/out. The city hasn’t had a budget for extensive code enforcement and tends to focus on the critical factors of building. But enough complaints about some of the signs have come in to prompt a renewal of effort to get the sign owners to adhere to the local rules.
Might not the appropriate way to have gone about this have been for the sign owners to get together and petition the city to change the rules before just breaking them? Not saying the rules would have been changed but it would have been less of a fight and more of a discussion.
Denny Phillips says
Ms. Garland why does the COR have signs next Robertsville School that contain both flashing lights and “Your Speed” signs that scroll changing numbers? In your mind, do these signs create safer driving patterns or prompt distracted drivers to go careening into throngs of children?
Trina Baughn says
The rules as currently written do NOT
prohibit moving copy, flashing, scrolling or fading. They do prohibit:
– “Flashing signs which present a hazard or danger..â€
– Signs with blinking, flashing or fluttering lights “which have a
changing light intensity brightness or color.”
The ordinance contains no criteria for establishing a hazard or danger. Blinking, flashing and fluttering are allowed as long as they do not change intensity, brightness or color. No criteria for intensity or brightness are provided.
The rules are not enforceable as written which is precisely why the city manager wanted it brought before council prior to the “No Santa†debacle. When council deferred, the city decided to bully the existing businesses since they knew that whatever changes would come, they would be grandfathered in.
David A. Vudragovich says
A way to determine if it leads to greater volume is a business not having one for years then installing one and seeing if/how much their sales increase. At the hearing (Thursday two weeks back) there were various signs shown on the over head. They also allow businesses to make sudden changes in their marketing (restaurant example, they find they got delivered too many carrots. They can immediately start advertising carrot specials so they do not have a lot of inventory go to waste).
Denny Phillips says
Why does the COR prohibit flashing signs with changing text and yet operate flashing signs with changing texts next to its schools (I.e. Robertsville Middle and Linden Elementary)?
Denny Phillips says
Why does the COR continue to claim the signs are a distraction and yet people in Caesar outfits can dance on the street holding $5 “Hot N’ Ready” signs? Is a sign more distracting then a dancing fool spinning a “We but Gold” sign? Is a flashing sign more distracting than 8 high school girls in bikinis yelling “Car Wash!” at drivers?
Denny Phillips says
I mean lets be honest about this, the objections ain’t about “public safety”.
The objections come from high-minded snobs that think the signs are tacky.
Charlie Jernigan says
Denny, what kind of crusade are you on? First you put down Unitarians and their beliefs and now Oak Ridgers are snobs for wanting their zoning enforced. I don’t think this is a very good marketing campaign for your “family business”.
Denny Phillips says
Mr. Jernigan, first of all I am not on any sort of “crusade” nor have I ever “put down” the belief system of Unitarians. Judging by the cavalcade of letter writers stemming from said congregation to the Oak Ridgerin on the offensive nature of the national motto, I merely
Denny Phillips says
It should be duly noted that the concept that the concept of the codes enforcement arm of the COR being to stressed and underfunded to address sign issues in Oak Ridge is preposterous. Any business person that has operated in Oak Ridge knows that the “sign Nazis” are swift, severe and threatening in their enforcement.
I need only harken back two months to give a fine example. When our family business, Nature’s Marketplace, had our parking lot occupied by a construction crew repairing the sewer system, the contractors placed a innocuous 2′ x 2′ sign on our property informing motorists that the two businesses in our strip were “Open for business”. The COR response? Send us a certified letter (apparently the phone doesn’t work nor does anyone have time to make the grueling 2 mile drive from City Hall) threatening action unless payment was made for the sign that we didnt even install. What is even more humorous is that as part of the contract for the repair work the COR had actually requested the contractors to put up the sign. I could regale you with about a dozen more similar Keystone Codes stories, but Mr. Huotari asks that we limit comment length.