Signs point to fewer signs

Presentation leads to discussions about city's plethora of temporary signs

MOSES LAKE — For some in Moses Lake, the temporary signs staring at motorists throughout the city are becoming a little too permanent.

Advertising everything from a sale on beer to the latest lunch buffet, the vinyl and cardboard signs have long been a staple of business facades and parking lot light poles.

But ever since an Olympia-based development consultant gave a visitor's critique on Moses Lake in June, the plethora of signs has become more apparent to many community and business leaders. That presentation, by Destination Development CEO Roger Brooks, has even led to early talks of updating the city's sign code.

"There's a time and a place for temporary, but not on a permanent basis," said Sally Goodwin, executive director of the Moses Lake Business Association.

Goodwin concedes there is a balance that has to be struck between the economy of the temporary vinyl signs versus the aesthetics and the cost of the permanent sign, but she said temporary signs don't look good when they're up months after an event has passed. If an entrepreneur opens a shop, she said the signs for that shop need to be professionally done and permanent.

The abundance of temporary signs may not mean much to the people who live and work in Moses Lake and see these signs everyday, but Goodwin said the city should look and appear nice to their visitors.

"We have to look at it from a visitor's point of view," Goodwin said.

Brooks in June highlighted several examples of how the area is plagued by vinyl and temporary signs. Brooks is in the midst of a one-year contract with the city to develop a three- to five-year marketing plan with the goal to make the community a tourism lure.

He suggested developing sign ordinances to restrict the clutter created along Broadway Avenue. When a half dozen signs take over the landscape of a single business, Brooks has said all that does is lead visitors to ignore all the sign clutter.

The planning commission hasn't sunk too deep into the city's sign ordinance, but Community Development Director Gilbert Alvarado noted some signs are already illegal under city codes. At busy traffic corners, chain link fences have become a billboard for advertising businesses and community events. But with the exception of those temporary signs allowed by property owners, Alvarado said business advertisements on those chain link fences are illegal under code.

Temporary banner signs advertising everything from beer to businesses themselves are legal under current city codes though, so long as they are in good condition and within the outside wall of a building.

The ordinance is one the planning commission has tweaked before, and Chairman Bob Bernd said the issue is a fine line between aesthetics and community members who have said the signs are an affordable way to advertise their event.

"It's a fine balance to weigh between the two," Bernd said.

The city and businesses were involved in coming up with language in 2000 for the last master re-write of the sign ordinance. When the planning commission does look at the sign code again, Bernd said they will likely look at changes with regard to the banner signs. When they do take up the ordinance, Bernd said it will be an opportune time for people to comment.

"I would encourage people who have feelings about it one way or the other to contact the planning department," Bernd said.

Goodwin said the city could restrict the use of temporary signs, but one of the more effective ways to restrict temporary signs is to regulate them as part of the business lease agreement.

Adrienne Strickland is one business owner who has done just that. Strickland owns the Baby, Naturally! building on the corner of Ash Street and Third Avenue, and restricts her tenants' use of temporary vinyl signs to 40 days for special events. She said the 40-day limit doesn't restrict retailers from having monthlong promotions, but it does preclude them from using vinyl signs as the primary sign for their businesses.

"Creating a nice permanent professional sign for your business should be considered as part of the opening costs when you open your business," Strickland said.

Strickland said the issue is one of aesthetics, and setting yourself a part with a permanent and professional look is important to the entire town. The costs to install permanent signs are not much more expensive, and she noted even Wal-Mart doesn't use the temporary signs.

"Even Wal-Mart doesn't have those signs," Strickland said. "Even Wal-Mart puts forth the professional, we're here to stay, look."

And no matter the changes, Alvarado said codes restricting signs are always evolving as the community's needs change.

"It's not static, it's dynamic," Alvarado said. "It's going to move as trends move."