Businesses Request Changes To Sign Ordinance

FARMINGTON — Small business owners asked to be able to place banners or signs off-premise and have more leeway in using temporary signs or banners during a recent Sign Committee meeting at Farmington City Hall.

Mayor Ernie Penn mailed out a Sept. 9 letter to Farmington business owners, pointing out that many businesses were using banners and temporary signs in violation of the city’s Sign Ordinance, adopted by the Farmington City Council in July 2001. He urged the business owners to attend a Sign Committee meeting on Sept. 30 and give their input on revising the ordinance.

Melissa McCarville, city business manager, opened the committee meeting on Sept. 30, saying city officials hoped to accomplish three goals with the Sign Committee: come away with new ideas, a more streamlined ordinance and a more business friendly ordinance.

About 17 people attended the meeting from many businesses in Farmington. Some of the businesses are located along Main Street and others are on streets away from the highway. Those who attended included representatives from PG Telco, Marvin’s IGA, Northwest Arkansas Collision Center, Tooley’s BBQ and More, the Funky Monkey Boutique, Southwinds Realty, Mirror Mirror Salon, First National Insurance, Uplift Massage Therapy and Blush & Bangs Salon.

City officials attending the meeting included Penn, McCarville, Public Works Director Dan Ledbetter, City Attorney Steven Tennant and Judy Horne, a member of the Farmington Planning Commission.

McCarville warned those at the meeting that it takes time to change a city ordinance. The steps in revising an ordinance include public meetings and hearings, a review and approval by the Planning Commission and then approval by the City Council. She said the process could take as long as five months, though the letter sent out by Penn to business owners stated that his goal was to have a document before the City Council as early as December.

McCarville reviewed the city’s 26- page Sign Ordinance, explaining that the first step in following the ordinance was understanding the definition of terms. She admitted that several sections were confusing and said she hoped changes would clarify the ordinance and make it easier to understand.

Tennant said the 2001 Sign Ordinance was patterned after a measure adopted by the city of Bentonville. Bentonville has since revised its own ordinance and Tennant pointed out that “ordinances are like laws. They evolve over time.”

Without ordinances in place, he said, people will find ways to get around rules and regulations.

The current Sign Ordinance prohibits portable signs and off-premise signs. It states that any sign must be 15 feet away from the right-of-way. Businesses are allowed to put up banners four times a year for 10 days each time or can put up temporary signs for 15 days, two times a year, for special events.

In addition to commercial signs, the Sign Ordinance also addresses real estate signs, church signs, political signs and non-commercial and non-profit signs.

Amy Hutcherson, owner of Funky Monkey, said she was at the meeting to explain why businesses need temporary signs or banners to advertise.

“I spent $495 on banners. Ten days, four times a year doesn’t justify my cost,” Hutcherson said.

Her business is part of a retail center on Southwinds Drive and she said a banner placed on the grass in front of the building helps bring attention to her shop.

Hutcherson said she believes the ordinance should allow businesses to use banners more often and also asked that businesses be allowed to put up signs off-premise with the permission of a property owner.

Phil Huff with Marvin’s IGA wondered about allowing portable signs with interchangeable letters. He said the grocery store has had good success with portable signs in other cities.

Ledbetter told him that businesses could take the legs off a portable sign and mount it on a pole, “and that’s a permanent sign.”

Ken Rue with Northwest Arkansas Collision Center on Main Street said the city needs to have uniformity and consistency with a Sign Ordinance so that all businesses have a “level playing field.” He indicated that businesses can use other ways besides “yard signs” to advertise to customers.

Doug Lossing with Southwinds Realty said he moved his business from Main Street to Southwinds because of the traffic on the highway.

“There’s not enough room for all of us on 62,” Lossing said, though he added that he realizes it is a challenge to be able to direct traffic from the highway to businesses on other streets.

McCarville said the city is pursuing several solutions. One would be to apply for Wayfinding Signs, similar to the new directional signs that have been erected in Fayetteville and other cities in northwest Arkansas. The Arkansas Highway and Transportation Department is now allowing these signs. The idea would be to place the sign on Main Street and have it direct traffic to the ballpark, library, Post Office and restaurants and stores off the highway, McCarville said.

Another idea, recommended by Hutcherson, is to provide a packet of information to businesses that apply for a city business license. This information would explain the city’s ordinances that apply to businesses in town.

McCarville said city officials would work on changes to the ordinance and email a draft to those who attended the Sign Committee meeting. At that point, she said it would be decided whether to have another meeting for additional input or comments or to go ahead and forward the draft to the Planning Commission.