City of Katy residents had the opportunity to share opinions on the city’s current sign ordinance at a Sept. 23 workshop requested by Mayor Pro Tem Gina Hicks and council member Paul Follis.
The workshop stemmed from American Furniture Warehouse's request for the use of a digital sign. While considering the application, Hicks said she found out churches and schools also wished to have digital signs.
“I wanted to just take a look at what our sign ordinance was and if it made sense and also get transparent, public feedback on where the community stands on this sign ordinance and what changes they are for or they are against,” Hicks said.
Current situation
Community Development Director Ian Clowes led a presentation outlining the city’s current sign ordinance, which was amended in 2009 to allow LED backlit or internally lit signs.
Types of electronic signs include:
A spectacular sign or “Las Vegas-style sign,” which is defined as a sign modifying advertising with “glaring or rotating strobe or spotlights.”
A changeable electronic variable message sign, or CEVMS, also referred to as a “standard message board electronic sign,” which must stay the same for at least four hours and is prevalent at Katy ISD schools.
Clowes said CEVMS signs are prohibited in all of the city’s residential districts, but are allowed in commercial and industrial districts if they are not in the Old Katy District and are at least 500 feet away from a single family residential home.
Additionally, spectacular signs in front of businesses on general rights-of-way are prohibited and off-premise signs such as billboards are not allowed if they are CEVMS or spectacular signs.
City Attorney Bridgette Begle said the city can regulate the brightness, size and location of a certain sign, but cannot restrict who acquires the signs and what they put on them.
The outlook
Following the presentation, several residents said flashy signs can be distracting, although some said a digital sign at a school or church would be easier to alter than a manual one.
Meanwhile, council member Paula Taylor said digital signs can be expensive and not the main way people find out information nowadays with the advent of other technology.
However, council member Michael Meihls stated there are certain court cases pertaining to signage regulation that Katy does not adhere to so the ordinance could be worth reviewing.
Ultimately, Hicks said businesses should not have to pay $2,500 to apply to amend its planned development district without knowing how the council leans toward the issue beforehand.
What they’re saying
Jacob Colby, who oversees American Furniture Warehouse, said the workshop is a good first step for any possible changes to occur. He said he believes the sign at the Katy location is already brighter than an LED one.
“My goal is to keep engaging everybody and try to get ahead of some of the perceptions and educate about the technology, how far it's come,” Colby said. “I really think there's a way where we could have a solid middle there.”
Next steps
No action was taken during the workshop. However, Hicks said updating the sign ordinance would come back during a City Council meeting as either a discussion or action item in the next month or two.
