HomeMy WebLinkAboutORDINANCES-1985-098-O-859/5/85
AN ORDINANCE
Declaring a Moratorium
on Pole Signs
•
WHEREAS, numerous signs of diverse and varied type exist in the City
of Evanston; and
WHEREAS, it is the goal of the City of Evanston to establish
workable standards for the size, location and type of signs to be erected and
maintained within the City; and
WHEREAS, the City sign ordinance has been amended by Ordinance
33-0-70 in 1970 and Ordinance 85-0-82 in 1982; and
WHEREAS, the Planning and Development Committee of the City of
Evanston has. begun an examination of the standards utilized to regulate the
location and size of signs within the City; and
WHEREAS, the Planning and Development Commitee has on August 17,
1984 and May 20, 1985 considered the impact of various signs on the neighbor-
hoods and citizens of the City; and
WHEREAS, the City's Director of Planning, Director of Building and
Zoning, and Director of Housing and Property Services Administration and the
Zoning Planner have met with representatives of Design Evanston, the
Evanston Plan Commission, and the Evanston Preservation Commission to develop
amendments to the existing sign ordinance; and
WHEREAS, Title 4, Chapter 12, of the City Code of the City of
Evanston, 1979, as amended, has proven inadequate as a standard for regulation'
of signs within the City; and
WHEREAS, the City Council of the City of Evanston has authorized an
outside consultant to analyze the.impact of the existing sign ordinance on
• the City and to recommend amendments to the ordinance consistent with the
needs of the City and the City's General Plan; and
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WHEREAS, the consultant is to consider among other factors (a)
maximum sign size requirements, (b) prohibition of billboards, (c) a
prohibition of pole signs, (d) the number of signs per establishment, and
• (e) the impact of regulation on the First Amendment to the United States
Constitution; and
WHEREAS, the construction of certain pole signs has been unsuccess-
fully regulated by state law and City of Evanston ordinances; and
WHEREAS, the construction and erection of certain pole signs is
costly and once erected, for the most part, irreversible; and
WHEREAS, such construction and erection of pole signs may not be
within the li'mitation-or protection of any possible new sign regulation;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY OF
EVANSTON, COOK COUNTY, ILLINOIS:
SECTION 1: That pursuant.to the homes rule powers of the City of
• Evanston a moratorium be and is hereby imposed on all
construction and/or erection of all pole signs. This moratorium is to remain
in effect until the City Council of the'City of Evanston enacts an ordinance
to regulate the construction and/or erection of said pole signs, and the
ordinance takes effect, but in no event more than one .hundred eighty (180)
days following the effective date of this ordinance. For the purposes of this
ordinance, a pole sign shall be defined as follows:
POLE SIGN Pole mounted signs shall include any signs, supported
by steel poles, steel beams or other suitable material
approved by the Director of.Inspections and Permits,
and shall include only signs erected on the property
of the location or place of business which is identified
by the copy or reading matter appearing on the sign face.
SECTION 2: The City Manager shall be responsible for the enforce-
ment of this ordinance.
SECTION 3: Any person, firm or corporation attempting to construct
and/or erect a pole sign shall be fined, not to exceed
five hundred and no/100ths dollars ($500.00). Each day any violation of this
ordinance shall continue, shall constitute a separate offense.
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•
•
SECTION 4: If any provision of this ordinance or the application
thereof to any person or circumstances is held invalid,
the invalidity does not affect other provisions or applications of this
i
i
ordinance which can be given effect without the invalid provisions or
i
application.
SECTION 5: This ordinance shall be in full force and effect from
and after its passage, approval and publication in the
manner provided by law and until an Evanston ordinance regulating pole signs
takes effect or one hundred eighty (180) days from the effective date of this
ordinance, whichever comes first.
Introduced: 1985
Adopted: 1985
Approved:
Mayor
ATTEST:
City Clerk
Aprpo- ed as to for
,orporationYounsel
j
1985 !
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