Buffalo Grove working on sign ordinance updates
Buffalo Grove trustees this week moved closer to modifying the village's sign code to be more business friendly.
One of the areas the board focused on was the role of the Zoning Board of Appeals in advising the Plan Commission on sign variances.
Trustee Andrew Stein has suggested that two ZBA members should have a vote when the plan commission makes its decision rather than have ZBA input limited to representation on the Appearance Review Team that advises the commission.
Stein said that the Appearance Review Team typically meets during the day, when many of the zoning commissioners are working. “There is a level of expertise they do bring that I think could be advantageous to the hearing at the Plan Commission level.”
However, the majority of the board seemed to be leaning against giving them a vote. Village President Jeffrey Braiman said that carrying the extra two members could be “a little bit cumbersome.”
Trustee Beverly Sussman said two members of the ZBA should be asked to attend a meeting where a vote on a sign is occurring but only to offer an opinion or suggestion.
Trustee Lester Ottenheimer said there are many ways for a member of the ZBA to communicate with the plan commission, if they are unable to attend a meeting because of a scheduling conflict.
The board also talked about electronic messaging signs, including the amount of time that should elapse before the message is changed on electronic wall signs or free-standing signs. The proposed time was 20 seconds, and the board, when polled, agreed with that figure.
The board, when polled, was against a section of the proposed ordinance that would allow electronic message signs on windows in businesses.
Window signs are not currently permitted, although a handful of businesses have chosen to put them up.
“Now what we're doing is inviting, if we pass this section, a proliferation of these types of signs and double the size,” Trustee Jeffrey Berman said. “And I don't think that that is the kind of message we want to send. And I don't think that is the kind of look and feel that we want to promote in the business areas of the community.”
Trustee Michael Terson disagreed with language under “General Sign Design Intent” that said that the number of lettering styles should be minimized and relate to the overall architectural concept of the property.
“When you start getting into colors, and specifically, lettering styles, I just don't agree with that,” he said. “I think businesses in our community in this day and age should be free to put up their brand on their storefront that they are investing in our community.”