§ 701. Findings.

It is a substantial and compelling governmental interest to control signs and other advertising devices for the following reasons, among others:

(a)

Signs by their very nature are intended to gain the attention of motorists and therefore distract them from the primary purpose of maneuvering a vehicle along a road. Sign controls are needed to promote traffic safety and avoid traffic accidents; and

(b)

Signage, if left unregulated, can cause confusion and delay in responding to emergencies, because unregulated signs can degrade the utility and reduce the visibility and effectiveness of public safety signs; and

(c)

Unregulated signage can contribute to clutter and lack of organization in the wayfinding system of a community and thereby increase the stress levels of motorists; and

(d)

The appearance of the county is substantially influenced by signs, and it is essential to the county's long-term economic viability to maintain a positive appearance. Signs and advertising, without regulation, can detract from the character, beauty, and visual attractiveness of the county; and

(e)

The size, height, construction materials, location, condition, and attributes of signs can have an adverse impact on surrounding and nearby land uses and properties if not regulated and properly maintained, including the lowering of property values. Abandoned and antiquated signs and sign structures (e.g., a pole with a blank structure for a sign face) can have a particularly detrimental effect on adjacent properties and contribute to an overall image of blight in the community; and

(f)

Sign regulations help to assure that public benefits derived from expenditures of public funds for the improvement and beautification of streets and other public structures and spaces are protected. Unregulated signs can neutralize the value and benefit of public investments in streetscapes; and

(g)

Sign regulations benefit businesses that seek to advertise. Unregulated commercial signage can be detrimental to individual businesses, because business owners may be compelled to erect larger and costlier signs to outperform neighboring or nearby businesses. Such competition for visibility among business can result in too many signs and excessive sizes and heights, to a point of diminishing returns where individual business signs are no longer adequately visible. If unregulated, the competition for visual recognition can defeat the purpose of the signs, which is to carry a message. If signs are left unregulated, patrons of individual businesses may miss their destinations because they cannot find the particular business of choice in the sea of advertising devices; and

(h)

The regulations contained in this article are no more extensive than necessary to serve the substantial governmental interests and purposes identified in this article.

(Ord. No. 17-003 , § 1, 10-2-2017)