Business & Tech

City Reviews Window Sign Restrictions

Some business owners say ordinance limiting advertising to 25 percent of windows hurts retail.

City officials are taking a look at a 42-year old ordinance that limits advertising on retail establishment's windows to 25 percent.

The issue came to light at the Feb. 15 City Council meeting when three local business owners asked council members to consider revising the regulations.

City planners are studying possible changes and will bring a recommendation to a council meeting in the near future.

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"I'm reluctant to make any changes, but I want to keep an open mind," said Mayor Tim Sbranti. "I want to help our businesses in this economic climate."

The law is not often enforced; city workers do not patrol the streets of Dublin looking for violators. They act only when a citizen complains.

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That's what happened last fall. An unnamed person filed objections at City Hall to several businesses that had paintings, lettering and posters on their windows.

The city sent notices to the businesses, which complied rather than face a citation. The potential fine is $100 per violation for any business that doesn't act after receiving warning letters.

The law has been on the books since 1969, when Dublin was unincorporated and overseen by Alameda County officials. It became part of the city's regulations when the town incorporated in 1982.

The reason behind the ordinance is two-fold.

One is aesthetics. 

"We don't want something covering an entire window. That could look tacky," said Sbranti.

The other reason is safety. Windows are required to be clear enough that police officers can see inside if they are checking on a situation.

"I understand the need for some balance," said Tim Smith, vice president of Accurate Impressions on Dublin Boulevard, one of the businesses notified last fall.

However, he said he feels the 25 percent rule is arbitrary and somewhat limiting. For starters, he said, it's difficult to know what counts as covering on windows. Is it the space in between letters? Is it 25 percent of all windows? Or 25 percent of each individual window?

"The regulations are a little fuzzy," he said.

Smith said he would like to see the limit increased to 50 percent. He also suggested putting a moratorium on the ordinance to see what businesses would look like with more window signage.

Ellie Lange agrees. She and her husband own eight properties in Dublin. Two of them on the same Dublin Boulevard lot — Soccer Pro and Golf Mart — were notified last fall.

Lange said she doesn't necessarily object to the 25 percent limit. However, she said business owners aren't sure what counts and what doesn't.

"What is it about the 25 percent that is OK?," she said. "What are we supposed to do? Go out with a tape measure?"

Lange also feels enforcement is arbitrary. She and her husband have owned property in Dublin since 1969 and the fall was the first time any of their businesses have been notified.

"Right before Christmas, in the worst economy since the Great Depression, people get these notices," she said. "This really portrays an anti-business atmosphere."

Smith noted that in addition to a bad economy, local businesses are competing with the Internet for sales, a phenomenon that was not around when the law was written in 1969.

"If we don't put up signage, people will walk by without knowing we're here," he said. "Then, they'll purchase their merchandise on the Internet from some company in Oklahoma." 

The mayor said there may be room for compromise. He said it's possible to make exceptions for certain types of businesses or to be more flexible on items such as banners.

"I think we can come up with something that is acceptable to businesses and residents," Sbranti said.


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