Commission to study electronic signs
April 6, 2009
By J.B. Wogan
Planning Commissioner Stan Bump illustrated the dangers of changing the city’s sign code by way of a tripod and map of Sammamish. With a wood stick, he pointed to a multitude of green, yellow and red dots, most of them along 228th Avenue, representing institutions that could have changing electronic signs.Bump’s message was clear: If high schools can have changing electronic signs, so could roughly 50 other places, including churches, nonprofits and other schools.
“This map looks like the city has broken out with measles,” said Planning Commissioner Scott Hamilton. “I think we’re playing with real fire here.”
Despite those strong reservations, the Planning Commission decided April 2 that it would explore ways to allow educational institutions to build changing electronic reader boards. Staff from the Community Development Department will draft an amendment, or perhaps several amendment options, for discussion at a May 7 commission meeting, according to Evan Maxim, senior planner for the city.
The commission is a citizen advisory board that makes policy recommendations to the City Council about zoning and development regulations.
The sign code issue drew testimony from representatives of Eastlake High School, who have expressed interest in building a changing electronic message board. Faculty and students at Skyline High School were not at the meeting, but have also said they would like an electronic reader board and are working to raise funds for that goal.
“The basic reason is the expedience of communication,” said Chris Bede, assistant principal of Eastlake High School. “It’s just a constant cycle of community events.”
Liz Sirjani, who heads a leadership class at Eastlake, described how she spent an hour in the rain manually replacing letters on the current sign.
“Today I was out there and it’s dangerous. I was slipping and falling and I had to stand out there with my poncho on,” Sirjani said.
Students from Sirjani’s leadership class change the sign for school events or announcements about student achievements. They use a ladder to climb up and remove letters by hand, Sirjani said.
Students sometimes spend 30 minutes of class time changing the sign, Bede said.
With an electronic sign, students could change messages in a few minutes and without putting themselves in danger, Bede said.
Not all testimony was supportive of allowing electronic reader boards.
“I think it looks cheap,” said Maureen Santoni, who lives on Southeast Sixth Place. “I’m very much opposed to them because of how distracting they are. Once you let the door open, I think it’ll be very ugly.”
Maxim told the commission that the current city code does not allow for institutions in a residential zone to build changing message boards.
Both Eastlake and Skyline are in residential zones.
The Pine Lake Athletic Club, which is in a commercial zone and is part of the Pine Lake Shopping Center, has a changing electronic sign with a black background and red letters.
The First Mutual Bank, by the intersection of Northeast Fourth Street and 228th Avenue, also has a changing electronic sign.
Planning Commissioner Jan Klier asked Maxim to clarify the intent behind the current code – were changing message boards restricted because they were electronic or because they change too frequently?
“We have to be extremely precise in the language that we use. What makes the distinction that it is or isn’t allowed in the code?” Klier said.
Maxim said the current code, a subsection of the city’s development standards, defined changing message boards as boards that change at least every three minutes.
The code does not speak to the issue of electronic vs. manual reader boards, although it does reference lighting. Signs cannot have blinking lights, nor can they project light onto a street or right-of-way, according to the code.
The commission also determined that the sign code needs some revision in terms of what it allows in its commercial zones.
Hamilton asked if any business in a commercial zone could have a changing electronic board. Much to Hamilton’s chagrin, Maxim said yes.
“I’m almost speechless on this point,” Hamilton said.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.
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