City Council notes

By Cindy Landrum  

AUGUST 26, 2010 10:19 a.m. (0)

 

A law governing signs in Greenville’s city limits won’t be as restrictive as once proposed.

The first sign ordinance proposed by city planners would have restricted permanent window signs to 10 percent of the window space, down from 40 percent.

The restriction was one of several that business owners had raised concerns over earlier this month. Changes were made to the ordinance after meetings with business owners.

Mayor Knox White said the city wanted to tighten its sign ordinance to improve the looks of the city’s commercial corridors.

Sign regulations passed on first reading by the Greenville City Council Monday night restricts temporary window signs to 20 percent of the total glazed window area.

Window signs not exceeding 2 square feet indicating business hours of operation, credit cards which are accepted, group affiliations and non-illuminated open and closed signs are exempt.

The ordinance says awnings for the primary purpose of providing signage is “generally not appropriate,” but text and graphics are allowed if they are compatible with the city’s design standards.

Jean Pool, the city’s planning and development manager, said her staff will propose broad landscaping standards for around freestanding signs before second reading and final approval of the ordinance.

Earle Furman of the NAI Earle Furman Co. told the council said the new proposal simplifies what has been “confusing and somewhat a baffling ordinance for tenants.”

The council also passed a resolution recognizing Carolyn Downs, a Greenlink bus driver, for heroic actions on the morning of Aug. 18.

Downs noticed a 2-year-old boy walking barefoot near White Horse Road and Lily Street. She stopped her bus and attempted to locate the child’s parents. When she was unable to find the parents, she took the child to Greenlink’s transit center and called police.

The child was returned to his parents unharmed.

City Council also passed an extension to a lease with the Greenville County Recreation District for Greenville Municipal Stadium on Mauldin Road. Two years ago, the city leased the stadium and the surrounding campus in exchange with the recreation district spending no less than $4 million to renovate the stadium into a complex sufficient to attract regional tournaments within 24 months.

But the recreation district did not receive authorization to spend the money until June.

The new agreement gives the recreation district 24 months to make the improvements.

The next meeting of the Greenville City Council will be held on Monday, Aug. 30 at 5:30 p.m. There will be a work session at 4 p.m.