Electronic signs to say goodbye?

[Erik Sine]

Electronic signs to say goodbye?

Wed, May 16, 2007

By TONY BAUGHMAN

Staff writer

The City of Aiken may be about to pull the plug on electronic signs.

The Planning Commission voted unanimously Tuesday to recommend that City Council prohibit all flashing and pulsating signs, including those that use light-emitting diodes (LED), liquid crystal display (LCD), plasma and other digital technology. Council is expected to consider the zoning amendment at its first June meeting.

"The reason for this is that this is a rapidly growing technology that has major aesthetic and safety impacts that we don't understand," said Commission member Bill Reynolds in making the recommendation, which was quickly seconded by fellow commissioners Ed Giobbe and Wilkins Byrd. "The electronic sign is in its infancy. In Aiken, there are somewhere around five within the city limits, and until we do understand it much, much better, we feel the prudent course is to prohibit all electronic signs inside the City."

Previously, the City had allowed illuminated signs that provided "public service information such as time, temperature, date, weather or similar information intermittently with low intensity lights." If passed by City Council, the new ordinance revisions would effectively darken several familiar signs, such as the one owned by Bank of America at the corner of Laurens Street and Park Avenue.

Other organizations, including St. Mary Help of Christians School, had come to the City in recent weeks asking for permission to erect new electronic signs.

According to Planning Commission chairman Ed Woltz, though the proposed ordinance revision would block such signs, he said, "I do think we need to come back and revisit this because I don't think we have enough information on electronic signs at this time. But in order to protect the City at this point, we need to just put a moratorium on them until we can get more information and review this more in depth."

In other action, the Planning Commission:

* recommended that the City annex 29.7 acres along Huron and Moultrie drives, adjacent to Gem Lakes, for a new 34-home subdivision;

* recommended that the City deny rezoning of 3.76 acres on Spencer Drive adjacent to the Aiken Exchange shopping center as multi-family, where an Augusta developer wanted to build an apartment complex;

* approved a request by Woodside Development to name the proposed road into the Village at Woodside as "Village Green Boulevard"; and

* recommended that the rear portion of a lot on Marion Street be included in the Historic District.

[signeye]

Another set of boneheads with politcal power and here is what they are doing to us

[B.O.P.]

Another set of boneheads with politcal power and here is what they are doing to us

Yup. I assume this is Aiken, SC because Augusta (GA), which is also mentioned, is right next to Aiken across the Savannah River. Bunch of damn good 'ol boys trying to run things.