35-Year-Old Sign Ordinance Replaced with One That Allows EMCs
Jimmy Carter was president. And we still didn’t know who shot J.R.
But 1980 was the last time one county changed its sign ordinance. That meant more modern technologies, like EMCs, were not allowed. As the community worked to update its sign code, it turned to the sign and visual communications industry for assistance.
The community, located in the Sierra Nevada’s Gold Country, wanted to ensure that any sign code changes would protect the county’s scenic landscapes and viewsheds.
Planners in El Dorado County, California asked the California Sign Association (CSA) and the International Sign Association (ISA) to help it navigate the fine line between building business interests and protecting its unique setting. Key manufacturers also participated in the months-long process.
As planners grappled with adding electronic message centers, CSA hosted a demonstration and showed how the brightness of an EMC compares with a traditional sign cabinet. County officials—including planners, a planning commissioner and member of the Board of Supervisors—were given an up-close look at EMCs and digital signs.
A demonstration of EMCs allowed planners to learn more about how the brightness compared to traditional cabinet signs. Watchfire’s mobile digital sign vehicle allowed planners to explore this type of signage.
When the Planning Commission held a public hearing on its sign codes, sign industry representatives, including CSA’s Jeff Aran, ISA’s James Carpentier, and Dennis Schneider from Western Sign, were on hand to answer technical questions during a Planning Commission hearing.
After a careful process – with significant input from the sign industry – the Board of Supervisors voted to allow EMCs, using the ISA-recommended .3 foot candle approach for illumination.
A link to the El Dorado sign code update information can be found here and here is a link to the revised sign ordinance. Contact James Carpentier or CSA’s Roy Flahive for any questions.
