Barlo Signs Live Free or Die 2

4. The effects of restrictive planning and zoning laws:
Enacting zoning ordinances that cut commercial sign allowances in half will have long-range effects on property and business values.
Example: A property which was once allowed a fifty-square-foot sign may now find that only twenty-five-square-feet of sign area is allowed. This forces the text to be reduced, resulting in a loss of revenue simply because passing traffic is unable to read the message. Profit margins are typically small and a customer base decrease of even 10% can be a fatal blow. This diminishes property values and any future property transactions are negatively affected.
Example:
In 2001 the City of Concord revised the sign ordinance effectively cutting the allowable wall signage by half. Few opposed this change that will have a long term negative effect on the value of hundreds of businesses.
Another serious issue is the movement to legislate design standards on all visual aspects of a business. These subjective standards must be met to obtain building permits. Planning Boards have created Design Review Boards that have the power to regulate the color of your building, the style of your landscaping, and the features of your signage.
Federal and state courts have upheld the rights of
business to free commercial speech but these rights must be carefully guarded by the people they affect the most, the small business owner.
5. Make your voice heard!
Most elected officials are respected for their dedication, often working long hours for little reward. Unfortunately, many have limited or no experience in the field of municipal planning. This is why consultants and professional planners are hired. When (and if) changes in zoning laws come before voters for ratification most citizens assume that the planners know what is best and, therefore, their recommendations usually receive placid approval.
Business owners owe it to themselves to understand these changes and become educated in order to stand up for their rights to own a business that is allowed to grow and prosper. This right is guaranteed by our Constitution.
Your voice and vote count! Be sure that yours is not one of the silent voices in municipal planning. Get involved early in the developmental stages of zoning regulation. Let your municipal planners know that you are watching. Remember, they work for you.
A broader education of city officials and planning boards has occurred over the past few years with signage information being introduced into the planning curriculums at the college level. The reality of the importance of signage and its impact on property values has become a strong tool in supporting fair zoning regulation.
Planners need to be reminded to balance their future visions with practical commercial planning. Planning without practicality runs the risk of crippling a community's tax engine.
6. What can you do now?
- Contact your planning department and ask to look at the zoning ordinances (most are now available on line).
- Become aware of any proposed zoning changes.
- Contact a certified appraiser so you know the value of your property, signage, and structures.
- Keep your eye on town meeting agendas and look for issues that affect business.
- Contact your local Chamber of Commerce and ask them what they are doing to protect your rights and your property values.
- Visit the web sites of the United States Small Business Administration (www.sba.gov) and the U.S. Chamber of Commerce (www.uschamber.com) for more information concerning signs and your legal rights as a business owner.
7. Looking to the Future.
When starting a new business, it is recommended that you develop a business plan and a strategy for success. Every fledgling business owner has hopes and dreams that his business will grow to be a successful contributor to the community.
Many municipal planners are exercising excessive control over the destiny of local business by enacting zoning restrictions that hinder, not help, business growth. Make certain that your property has sufficient signage allowance to support the requirements of vital on-premise advertising. The long hours and hard work of maintaining a business introduce enough hurdles without those imposed by uninformed or uneducated planners. To insure that your business and your voice will be recognized, get involved today.
Don't leave your future in the hands of the planners. Their goals may not be the same as yours and their vision of the future may not include you and your company.
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