What’s your sign? Council reviewing what is, isn’t allowed

RED OAK — Less than six months after it was first approved, Red Oak’s sign ordinance may undergo a major overhaul under proposed changes to the City Council.

If the changes are approved by the Council, several signs currently prohibited would be allowed, while some others would be in violation. City Administrator Brad Wright said the current ordinance has several components he branded as “challenging to enforce.”

“We felt there were some things we needed to look at and see if we could clean up and make it more fair and more justifiable to people .. and more enforceable,” he told the Council at its Feb. 22 meeting.

Proposed changes include:

— Applying the ordinance to all zoning districts. Currently, it applies only to commercial, excluding agriculture and residential;

— Eliminates several definitions of signs not addressed elsewhere in the ordinance;

— Grandfathers all nonconforming signs other than pole signs and temporary signs;

— Allows neighboring properties to share a sign;

— Eliminated landscaping requirements around signs;

— Changed prohibition of “pole signs” to all signs over eight feet tall, regardless of mounting technique;

— Allows more than one wall signs per street, as long as the combined sizes do not exceed the 1/3 requirement;

— Allows bench signs, as long as they do not exceed 6 by 24 inches.

“As we started looking at the enforcement on this thing, the ordinance … affected far more signs than I believe any of us envisioned,” Wright said. “The non-conformity … basically grandfathers in a majority of those.”

Council members wanted to review the proposed changes, and will further discuss them at its March 7 meeting, starting at 5:30 p.m.

Public comment will also be accepted at that meeting.

Cage Update

Rotary Club President Doug Rieken updated the Council on the group’s efforts to replaced the caged basketball court on Corning, across the street from the middle school.

Working in conjunction with the Red Oak School District, Rotary Club members have raised $47,000 of their $200,000 goal needed to replace the facility.

“It is going to be a fantastic addition to the community,” Rieken said. “And its two blocks from downtown and we really view this as an urban renewal project, upgrading that area. A lot of people travel up and down this street. For people coming into town looking at this community to relocate or business coming to town, to be able to drive by something like this we think will be a great benefit. ”

In addition to replacing the current basketball standards, fencing and pavement, Rieken said the project will add a seating area, shade trees, a green space, and possibly lighting.

Rotary Club members have begun fundraising, and hope to raise $100,000 in the community, with the rest of the funds coming from in-kind work and grants.

Siren Purchase

The Council also approved spending $15,585 in local option sales tax funds to purchase a fifth emergency siren.

In late 2009, the City purchased four new sirens and located them throughout the community with the belief they would provide a minimum of an 80 decibel level warning throughout the community.

However, during testing last summer, the levels were as low as 65 in some portions of town, prompting emergency officials to request the purchase of a fifth siren, which would be located somewhere downtown.

“We think one more in the heart of the town would be better, and would help,” Wright said.

The company which sold the City the previous four sirens, at a price of $17,650 each, agreed to provide the fifth sire for $15,585, despite subsequent price increases, Wright said.

The purchase was approved by a 5-0 vote.