Electronic Signs in Richmond Heights? P&Z Considers Parameters

Electronic signs could find a home in once city officials establish guidelines for their use.

Building and Zoning Commissioner Dave Reary told City Council on Monday that the city's Planning and Zoning Commission has been discussing possible parameters for the signs. Among them:

• Allowing the signs in some commercial districts, with limited use in residential areas such as at churches, schools, nonprofits and government buildings
• Keeping signs at least 150 feet away from dwellings
• Requiring a static message during nighttime hours
• Permitting two seconds of animation, followed by at least eight seconds of a still display
• Limiting brightness to 0.3 foot-candles above ambient lighting levels
• Requiring a programmed default mode in the event that a sign malfunctions

During the meeting, some officials asked whether signs could create a distraction in school zones or disturb residential areas with light.

City Attorney Kenneth Heinz will look into whether entities such as schools are bound by city restrictions on electronic signs.

Mayor James Beck said while cities might not have jurisdiction over signs at those locations, entities such as schools and churches often are more likely to follow city requirements if such rules are in place.