Fighting for Sign Lighting in L.A.
ISA and the California Sign Association (CSA) are currently advising Los Angeles officials on several sign code issues, including how different kinds of sign illumination should be treated. It’s an effort that has required an extensive education of city officials, who recently proposed to regulate internally-illuminated signs the same way they do EMC brightness. ISA and CSA responded to this proposal by submitting a joint letter to Los Angeles officials outlining a number of reasons why the city should not regulate the illumination levels for traditional signs with a standard that is designed solely for EMCs. ISA and CSA are concerned that if the city imposes an identical lighting standard for traditional, internally-illuminated signs and EMCs without fully understanding the critical differences between the two, then end users will suffer by being forced to use illuminated signs that may not be effectively visible at night to potential customers.
The City of Los Angeles will forward the draft sign code to the full Council for final action once the final details are resolved. Other proposed changes in sign regulations include changes to the Sign District definition, illumination standards for EMCs, new definitions for murals, and changes to the fees for sign districts and variances. For more information please contact James Carpentier.
