Sign ordinance finally gets on county books

By Steve Estes

The state Department of Community Affairs Dec. 4 gave its final stamp of approval to Monroe County’s amended sign ordinance.

That amendment, which allows limited use of sandwich board signs along the US 1 corridor, will end July 1, 2010.

In December 2008, county code enforcement inspectors conducted a right-of-way compliance sweep the length of US 1. They were seeking to rid the state’s right-of-way of illegal A-frame and other signs designed to lure passing motorists into various shops, restaurants and bars.

Code enforcement issued 150 violations in that sweep. Business owners along the length of US 1, angered by the timing of the sweep, at a time when the economy was reeling, and the lack of personal contact, most violations were written after a drive-by—very few business owners were contacted by the officer issuing the citation, went to the county commission and asked for some relief.

The commission agreed, and directed county planning staff to work on amending the existing sign ordinance.

After three months of no action, staff conducted a series of public input meetings, and brought to the commission an amended ordinance that permitted the limited use of A-frame signs on private property.

Staff promised the commission that the sign ordinance revisions were a continuing work in progress, and that issues such as increases in signage due to width of right-of-way and setbacks, landscaping changes for increased visibility, changes in building-mounted sign criteria and relaxed replacement rules, would be addressed.

To date, only the A-frame sign issue has been addressed.

Commissioners were concerned that relaxing the rules for sandwich-board signs, previously not allowed in the county, would result in a proliferation of the signs along the Keys’ scenic corridor, which is why, along with the promise to do a more comprehensive overhaul, the commission limited the duration of the A-frame allowance.

The Board of County Commissioners also agreed to suspend enforcement of the citations issued in December until the new ordinance was in place.

With the approval Dec. 4, that suspension is lifted, raising questions about which citations proceed and how.

Three weeks ago, Code Enforcement Director Ronda Norman said she hadn’t yet researched the citations currently suspended to see how many would go forward to enforcement proceedings.

“Until we actually have an ordinance, we won’t know which citations come into compliance,” said Norman.

After the county commission agreed to revamp the existing sign ordinance and suspended the citations, then Growth Management Director Drew Trivette, who has since left the county, opined that all citations issued as part of that sweep would be held in abeyance from code enforcement until a new ordinance was in place. All citations not brought into compliance by the new ordinance would proceed to enforcement actions.

Based on local business owners’ citations, about 60 percent of the violations would not be brought into compliance just by the addition of A-frame signs to the code for a limited period.

But County Commissioners Heather Carruthers and Kim Wigington aren’t sure that the former director’s opinion is actually the intent of the commission at this point, or even at that point.

“I believe what we intended was that business owners be urged to comply with the sign ordinance, and if they do, or if we can find a way to make them compliant, then the citations would go away,” said Carruthers.

When Trivette issued his opinion to county staff, Carruthers wasn’t sure it was the intent of the commission being carried out.

“What we wanted was compliance and relief for our business owners.”