By Bill Short
The Millington Municipal Planning Commission unanimously recommended this week that the Board of Mayor and Aldermen approve its proposed amendments to the city’s Sign Ordinance.
Commission members took the action Monday night during their regular monthly meeting on a motion offered by Mike Caruthers and seconded by Curtis Park.
The recommendations are attached to a proposed ordinance that is scheduled for a public hearing and first reading at the board’s Nov. 12 meeting.
If approved on final reading at the board’s Dec. 9 meeting, the ordinance would revise the provisions in Chapter 24 of the Millington Zoning Ordinance in the following manner:
Every permanent sign displayed outdoors to attract the public to any place, person, firm, corporation, public performance or merchandise would be “classified” and have to conform to the requirements of that classification.
Its construction would have to be consistent with industry standards for permanent signs as approved by the planning commission. In no case could a permanent sign be constructed of canvas or other banner material.
An automatic “changing sign” would be defined as one that is electrically or electronically controlled, where different copy changes are shown on the same lamp bank.
Copy for a changing sign could only display alpha-numeric text and not include logos, graphics, pictures or other images. The copy could not cover more than 50 percent of the sign face or change less than every 5 seconds.
A “vehicle sign” would be defined as one that is magnetically or structurally attached to, painted on or applied to a vehicle to attract attention to a product sold, a business, entertainment or other activity.
Vehicles displaying signs would have to be parked behind or to the side of the associated business. If such an area is unavailable, they would have to be parked in the “closest space” to the business and not at the street frontage.
But this provision would not apply to rental trucks parked on the premises of a truck-rental business.
Churches, schools, clubs and non-profit organizations located in commercial or residential zoning districts would be allowed no more than two off-premises directional signs that display their names and provide a directional arrow.
None of those signs could be illuminated or exceed 6 feet in height and 25 square feet in size. Their design, color scheme and placement would be subject to review and approval by the commission, as well as written approval of the owner of the property on which they would be placed.
