City council continues discussion on approval of public signage
BRAWLEY – During the a recent Brawley City Council meeting, the item on approving Public Benefit Signage Area was tabled for further discussion and a report.
The item was presented by the city’s Assistant Planner, Andrea Montano, on February 7. Mayor George Nava said that the topic will be revisited during the next city council meeting, or a future meeting, for clarification purposes.
According to the staff report, upon review it was determined that changes to the Downtown Specific Plan would need to be two-fold: One change would be to incorporate definitions and standards into our current Zoning Ordinance, while the other would be to incorporate standards into the Downtown Specific Plans.
“Allowing digital signs by right in the Downtown Specific Plan is not aligned with the vision of the adopted Plan,” the report reads. “The current vision is to have a small town with distinct and historic architecture. The wanted architecture is Spanish colonial, art deco, and mission style. Allowing digital signs by right has the potential of allowing the transition in the architectural style to Googie, Raygun or Retro-Futuristic.”
City staff ’s recommendation is to carve out a dedicated public benefit signage area that would allow four digital signs in the city’s downtown plaza area: the Brawley Police Department, city hall, the Chamber of Commerce for Greater Brawley, and the Brawley Playhouse Theater, per the document.
As previously reported by this newspaper on January 19, according to the city staff report, this was a study session item designed to gather input from city council members and provided information on its potential purchase.
The discussion of the potential purchase of digital signs dates back to a during a regular city council meeting on January 17.