MILL CREEK – The City Council reaffirmed its opposition to sidewalk sandwich-board signs last week, even though the signs are prevalent around the city’s business districts.
During last week’s study session, council members unanimously agreed they did not want the city to take steps to draft an ordinance that would allow the signs.
“They’re gonna end up like campaign signs,” said Dale Hensley, who spoke at Tuesday’s meeting against allowing such signs. “Anything on the sidewalk, I’m opposed to. It’s just clutter.”
Mayor Donna Michelson and Councilman Mark Bond said they were opposed to allowing the signs because they didn’t think residents want to see them.
Such signs are not allowed under city code, but enforcement is on a per-complaint basis, and few are received, city officials said.
“We simply aren’t staffed for it,” city manager Steve Nolen said about strict enforcement of the ordinance.
Currently, the city has a full-time staff member – Paul Delgado – devoted to code enforcement, but Delgado also has duties in animal control and in driving prisoners, Nolen said. The city is currently looking at how to divide Delgado’s time.
Council members gave a warmer reception to what are called “blade signs,” signs that hang over a business door and are visible to pedestrians. Such signs are used around Mill Creek Town Center and in the QFC shopping center on 164th Street SE.
City attorney Scott Missall said the city needs to make sure it’s in line with court precedent on the issue. He told the council that if sandwich-board signs are banned for businesses, then that ban must apply as well to real estate open houses, for example. He added that Redmond is looking at allowing one such sign per business, regardless of whether the business is real estate or retail.
Some council members called for the city to do a roundup of such signs, similar to a roundup the city did last year regarding temporary real estate directional signs.
Councilman Mike Todd said it’s critical for the city to conduct such a sweep, because failing to do so would create a perception that such signs are legal. Councilwoman Mary Kay Voss suggested the city look at sending letters to violators informing them of the code.
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