7/10/1985 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

JUL 101985 BOOK 61 m-uE 436 the other would involve development of the ordinance by the in-house planning staff. Regardless of which alternative is selected, the staff would be responsible for conducting workshop meetings and making revisions to the proposed ordinance as well as taking the draft ordinance through the public hearing process before the Planning and Zoning Commis- sion and the Board of County Commissioners. The primary advantages of having a consultant prepare the draft ordinance relate to experience. Because a consultant has developed sign ordinances for various other juris- dictions, he would have more experience, be more aware of typical issues, and have a better understanding of possible solutions of sign matters than the in-house staff. Using in-house staff would require substantial time for research and analysis, time that a consultant, already familiar with sign ordinances, would not need to spend. Since Solin & Associates has already prepared the other sections of the new zoning code and has adequately completed this work, the staff feels that Solin & Associates should prepare the County's new sign ordinance. RECOMMENDATION The staff recommends that the Board of County Commissioners authorize the staff to enter into a contractual agreement with Solin & Associates for preparation of the County's sign _ ordinance. - Vice Chairman Scurlock noted that a sign ordinance is probably one of the most difficult to draft. It is a complicated and sensitive issue, and he wanted some reassurance that those sensitivities are going to be looked at closely by the consult- ants. He realized that Mr. Solin did handle this for the City of Vero Beach and, therefore, should be cognizant of the problems involved. Director Keating assured the Vice Chairman that the consultant will be very aware of what the County wants. He pointed out that the staff workshops all these ordinances extensively to assure that when the ordinance comes to the Board, it will be consistent with what the various organizations want. Vice Chairman Scurlock noted that religious symbols are not to be considered signs, and this was agreed. Commissioner Bowman pointed out that there is nothing under General Provisions dealing with moving signs, and she felt these should be considered, as well as the tinsel trail, streamers and pennants seen on South U.S.1, which she did not feel are appropriate to our community. The Administrator and other Board members agreed. W