Workshop explores possible changes to city sign code By Craig Howard
Splash Contributor
Bill Grimes has made it clear that when it comes to the future of signage in Liberty Lake, nothing is set in stone - or neon or blinking lights.
Grimes, principal of the Spokane-based community design firm of Studio Cascade, presided over a workshop last month that delved into potential changes to the city's existing sign code. The discussion was part of the Liberty Lake planning commission's monthly meeting and included representatives of the City Council as well as municipal staff.
"This is so you can tell us what you're thinking in terms of signs and what our next step should be," Grimes told attendees during the Sept. 10 gathering at City Hall.
In June, council unanimously approved a contract with Studio Cascade to review the city's approach to signage. The standards, established after incorporation in 2001, have established an aesthetic baseline in Liberty Lake but also drawn criticism from some business owners who say the regulations are overly restrictive.
"The city made it clear that we should approach this with an attitude of ensuring the community's prosperity while also respecting the things that make Liberty Lake a special and unique place," Grimes said. "Community image is a community resource, and that's something the city has the authority to regulate to some degree."
The city's current sign code is characterized by guidelines not seen in surrounding communities. The document prohibits electric signs with alternating messages as well as reader boards. There are also restrictions on signs in residential areas. Each business within city limits is allowed a double sided "A-frame" sign measuring six square feet while free standing signs along the Interstate 90 corridor have a ceiling of 30 feet.
Mayor Steve Peterson said the code was structured to minimize the sort of visual clutter seen to the west of Liberty Lake.
"In the first year of incorporation, the conversation was, ‘We don't want to be like Sprague Avenue,'" said Peterson. "We still don't want to turn into Sprague, but I think we have a lot of work to do on the business side of signage."
Grimes pointed out that some commercial locations grapple with "awkward site plans" that make it difficult for customers to locate a store without more apparent signage.
"There are places that have little visibility from the street," he said.
Pointing to the example of the signature sign in downtown Spokane that advertises Luigi's Italian restaurant, Grimes added that a creative approach to design can "capture the local mystique."
When businesses do attempt to create an advertising draw, it doesn't always resonate, according to Mayor Pro Tem Cris Kaminskas, who said some retail sites have logos and designs that are difficult to decipher.
"Even driving by those, I can't figure out what they say," she said.
In surveying citizens and businesses about the sign statutes, Grimes said he was met "by an array of interesting perspectives."
"There seemed to be an appreciation for the sign code among residents but not so much by businesses," he said.
Wayne Frost attended the meeting as a board member of the HUB Sports Center, a multi-purpose venue tucked back off I-90 in the western section of the city. Frost said a site like the HUB, which has historically struggled with visibility, should be able to secure directional signage that guides visitors from the freeway to the building.
"There needs to be a distinction within the code for places of import to the city," Frost said.
AllSport, a location that also runs parallel to the freeway, was represented by Eric Holt at the meeting. Holt grew up in Liberty Lake prior to incorporation and said he appreciates the look of the community but remains hopeful that the code could be restructured to help businesses on the promotional side.
"It's tough to get people's attention," Holt said. "I'm not saying I want electronic signs, but it would be nice to have a little more flexibility. It would help us to get more attention of people driving down the freeway."
City Administrator Katy Allen said that "while the sign code is complicated, it's complicated for a reason."
"I think people sometimes get caught up in the regulations and lose sight of the reason or the goal," she said.
Council Member Odin Langford pointed out that geography and logistics should be considered when sign placement and characteristics are on the table.
"A sign facing I-90 might be OK, but the same sign facing a residential area might not," he said. "We have to look at the location, the building types and what you're trying to accomplish."
The workshop included an activity that separated attendees into four groups. Each group was tasked with picking one of three scenarios for signage, beginning with the status quo. The second option allowed for electronic changeable signs along the freeway and at least one digital community oriented sign at city gateways. An expanded sign area would also be permitted in commercial areas featuring multi-tenant buildings.
The third option included all of the additional signs in the second scenario as well as electronic changeable monument and wall mounted signs along both Country Vista and Appleway corridors. The second and third alternatives each stipulated that any electronic signs would take into account motorist safety by limiting brightness and frequency of change.
When the discussion subsided, two of the groups leaned toward the second option while the remaining two sided most with the third scenario.
"I think what I'm hearing is that we need to make some adjustments to the sign code and focus on the non-residential areas of the community," Grimes said.
Grimes told attendees that Studio Cascade hope to have its recommendations to the City Council toward the end of the year. A recap of the workshop will be included in council packets for the Oct. 7 meeting, while Grimes said he would work with city staff to schedule a community open house on signage in the next couple of months.
"We need a code that allows for some flexibility," said Mike Kennedy of the planning commission. "This has to be the most fair, the most transparent and most documented process."
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