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NAME IS JEREMY MCDONALD.I'M DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US TODAY IN THE DISCUSSION OF THE SIGN CODE STATUS UPDATE.
BEFORE WE GET STARTED, I'D LIKE TO MAKE AN ANNOUNCEMENT THAT WE HAVE INTERPRETATION OF OPPORTUNITIES.
UH, WE HAVE A S L IF ANYBODY NEEDS THAT SERVICE.
WE ALSO HAVE SPANISH INTERPRETER, IAN.
SO I'M JEREMY MCDONALD ONCE AGAIN.
I'M A DEVELOPMENT SERVICES ENGINEER.
WITHIN OUR INSPECTION SECTION, UH, INSPECTION SECTION FOR DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT IS WHERE WE HOUSE OUR SIGN CODE AND SIGN TEAM.
UH, ADDITIONALLY FOR STAFF HERE, WE CURRENTLY HAVE OUR SIGNED CHIEF ARTURO AND OUR DEPUTY DIRECTOR, I MEAN, TOMAS.
SO IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, WE'RE DEFINITELY HERE TO ANSWER ANY QUESTIONS THAT WE CAN.
SO WHY ARE WE HERE? UH, SO CURRENTLY WE ARE LOOKING AT CHAPTER 28 OF THE MUNI CODE.
THIS IS, UH, ONE OF THE CODES THAT ARE, IS ADOPTED UNDER ORDINANCE BY THE CITY COUNCIL AND OVERSEES VARIOUS, UH, ASPECTS OF THE CITY AND RUNNING THE CITY.
UH, CHAPTER 28 IS THE, IS THE CODE THAT'S USED FOR BOTH SIGNS AND BILLBOARDS.
AND I'LL GO INTO A LITTLE BIT MORE DETAIL BETWEEN THE DIFFERENCE.
UH, WE D S D DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT REVIEWS, THESE CODES AND ORDINANCES, UH, ENSURE THAT WE'RE MEETING THE LATEST STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS AND UPDATING THEM AS NEEDED.
SO, UM, YOU KNOW, THE SIGN CODE'S BEEN AROUND FOR MANY YEARS.
ONE OF OUR MAJOR, UH, SIGNIFICANT CHANGES EVER MADE WAS IN 1994.
THAT WAS KIND OF OUR FIRST MAJOR CHANGE.
THEN IT STAYED THAT WAY FOR QUITE A WHILE.
UM, CITY COUNCIL ACTUALLY REACHED OUT TO D S D THROUGH A COUNCIL CITY, A COUNCIL CONSIDERATION REQUEST THAT WE REVISIT CHAPTER 28 AND UPDATE THAT.
AND THEN ADDITIONALLY CONTINUE TO UPDATE THAT ALONG WITH ANOTHER CODE OUT THERE KNOWN AS THE UNIFORM DEVELOPMENT CODE.
THE UNIFORM DEVELOPMENT CODE IS UPDATED EVERY FIVE YEARS.
THAT'S SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT MORE ZONING AND OTHER RESTRICTIONS AS FAR AS DEVELOPMENT OF THE CITY.
UH, AND THEY KIND OF WANTED US TO GO HAND IN HAND WITH THAT.
SO WE STARTED THAT PROCESS IN 2015.
UH, HAD MANY STAKEHOLDER MEETINGS OVER THE, THAT NEXT YEAR, AND ULTIMATELY WAS ADOPTED IN JULY OF 2017 BY CITY COUNCIL AND WENT LIVE AT THAT TIME.
THAT IS THE CURRENT CODE THAT WE'RE UNDER.
UH, WE ORIGINALLY WERE GONNA REVIEW THIS BACK IN 2020 TO GET ON THE SAME CYCLE AS U D C, BUT BECAUSE OF THE COVID PANDEMIC THAT WAS PUSHED OFF FOR A COUPLE YEARS.
UH, SO SIMULTANEOUSLY WITH THE CO, UH, U D C, WHICH WAS ADOPTED LATE LAST YEAR, UH, WENT INTO EFFECT ON JANUARY 1ST OF THIS YEAR.
WE'RE TRYING TO WRAP THIS UP AND GETTING ABOUT IN THE SAME, UH, SEQUENCE, AND THEN WE'LL BE DOING THE SAME THING MOVING FORWARD.
UH, LOOKING AT THIS AGAIN, I THINK IN, IN, I THINK 2020, I THINK IS WHAT THE U D C DECIDED.
THEY WOULDN'T DO THIS AGAIN IMMEDIATELY, BUT, UH, THAT'S STILL KINDA A LITTLE BIT UP IN THE AIR SPECIFIC FOR THE SIGN CODE.
UH, BUT THE GOAL IS TO KINDA WRAP THIS UP THIS YEAR AND, UH, HAVE THE UPDATED ONE FOR 2023.
SO, AS I WAS SAYING, WE HAVE TWO DIFFERENT THINGS THAT WE KINDA LOOK AT WHEN IT COMES TO SIGN CODE.
TWO SIGNIFICANT ITEMS. THERE'S, UH, SIGNS THAT ARE OFF PREMISE AND SIGNS THAT ARE ON PREMISE.
OFF-PREMISE SIGNS ARE BILLBOARDS ARE ANY SIGNS THAT IS OUT THERE THAT'S KIND OF USED AS A COMMERCIAL.
UH, THEY CAN BE PLACED ANYWHERE IN THE CITY AND THEY SELL THAT AD SPACE.
SO THEY'RE NOT SERV, THEY'RE NOT PROVIDING ANY SERVICE AT THAT LOCATION THAT THE SIGN IS LOCATED.
IT'S PURELY JUST A COMMERCIAL SELLING OF THAT SIGN FOR ADVERTISEMENT, UH, TO ANY ENTITY THAT THEY DEEM NECESSARY.
ON-PREMISE SIGNS ARE KIND OF THE OPPOSITE OF THAT, OF THEY'RE AT LOCATIONS THAT A, SOMEBODY IS PROVIDING A SERVICE OR A PRODUCT, UH, THAT ON-PREMISE SIGN HAS RULES THAT IT HAS TO BE ADVERTISING.
THINGS THAT YOU CAN FIND SPECIFICALLY AT THAT LOCATION THAT THE SIGN IS AT.
UH, SO IN ESSENCE, WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS INSTEAD OF A BILLBOARD, WHEN YOU'RE DRIVING DOWN THE HIGHWAY SELLING ANY TYPE OF ADVERTISEMENT, THIS WOULD BE, YOU KNOW, IF I HAVE A BURGER JOINT, I MAY SELL BURGERS.
I CAN ADVERTISE THE NAME OF MY COMPANY.
I CAN ADVERTISE WHAT I'M SELLING ON-PREMISE ONLY.
SO THOSE WOULD BE AN ON-PREMISE VERSUS OFF-PREMISE SIGNS.
AND THAT'LL BE IMPORTANT WHEN WE KINDA GO THROUGH SOME OF THESE, UH, CHANGES.
'CAUSE THE, THE ENTIRE CHAPTER 28 IS BUILT AROUND RULES AND REGULATIONS FOR ON-PREMISE VERSUS OFF-PREMISE.
SO THE ADOPT THE AMENDMENT PROCESS, WHERE THAT STARTS OFF AT IS, YOU KNOW, ORIGINALLY IT WAS THROUGH A C C R ASKING US TO LOOK AT THIS EVERY YEAR THROUGH D S D D S D HAS A BOARD THAT WE, THAT WORKS WITH US, THERE ARE BUILDING RELATED FIRE CODES AND APPEALS BOARD.
SO THEY'RE AN APPEALS AND ADVISORY BOARD TO THE BUILDING OFFICIAL, WHO IS THE DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
THAT BOARD CREATED A COMMITTEE, AND THAT COMMITTEE HAS BEEN MEETING, UH, SINCE SUMMER OF LAST YEAR.
ONCE THAT COMMITTEE HAS REVIEWED ALL THE PROPOSED CHANGES AND PROVIDED THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, WE'LL TAKE THOSE RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE FULL BOARD.
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BOARD WILL THEN REVIEW THOSE, UH, PROVIDE THEIR RECOMMENDATIONS, AND AFTER THAT, WE'LL TAKE THAT TO A FIRST CITY COUNCIL MEETING, WHICH WOULD BE THE PLANNING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE.SO IT'S A COMMITTEE OF CITY COUNCIL MADE UP OF FIVE CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS.
ONCE THEY REVIEWED THAT AND PRESENTATION IS LOOKED AT, THEY KIND OF DECIDE ARE THEY, DO THEY WANT TO TAKE OUR PROPOSALS AS D S D THROUGH THE BUILDING RELATED FIRE CODES AND APPEALS BOARD TO FULL COUNSEL? DO THEY WANT US TO TAKE THOSE BACK TO THE COMMUNITY, UM, MAKE ANY CHANGES, OR DO THEY WANT TO JUST MAKE SOME CHANGES AT THAT POINT AND TAKE THAT TO CITY COUNCIL? SO THAT WILL BE THE P C D C MEETING.
ONCE THEY APPROVE US TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL, WE'LL PRESENT THIS TO, UH, CITY COUNCIL FOR FINAL APPROVAL.
AT THAT POINT, OF COURSE, THEY CAN MAKE ANY CHANGES THAT THEY WANTED, UH, BEFORE VOTING, UH, TO, UH, ADOPT THE NEW ORDINANCE OR THE NEW CHAPTER 28.
UH, WE'LL ALWAYS PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT OF A GRACE PERIOD, UH, SO IT WOULDN'T BE THE DAY THAT CITY COUNCIL VOTES THAT WE WOULD SAY THIS IS THE NEW REQUIREMENTS FOR ALL SIGNS AND BILLBOARDS.
UH, TYPICALLY WE GIVE A 90 DAY GRACE PERIOD.
THAT WAY IF ANYBODY HAS ANY PERMITS IN THE PROCESS, UH, THEY CAN BE HONORED, UH, UNDER THAT EXISTING CODE THAT THEY'RE DESIGNING IT UNDER.
SO CURRENTLY WE HAD RECEIVED 32 PROPOSED AMENDMENTS TO THIS, UH, CHAPTER 28.
THE COMMITTEE HAS LOOKED AT EACH ONE OF THEM AT THIS POINT.
THEY HAD RECOMMENDED APPROVAL ON 19 OF THEM.
UH, TWO OF THEM HAVE BEEN WITHDRAWN BY THE APPLICANT.
NINE ARE STILL PENDING FINAL DECISION.
UH, SO WE'VE MET WITH THE COMMITTEE, UM, ON THESE AT LEAST ONE TIME, SOMETIMES MULTIPLE.
THEY'RE ASKING FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION, SOME COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON SOME OF THIS.
UH, SO WE'RE WAITING, UH, ONE FOR THIS COMMUNITY MEETINGS TO GO THROUGH.
AND THEN ALSO, UH, TO PROVIDE A LITTLE BIT MORE INFORMATION TO THE COMMITTEE, UH, LOOKING TO HOPEFULLY WRAP THAT UP IN EARLY FEBRUARY.
AND THEN ONE OF THEM, UH, THE COMMITTEE DECIDED THAT THAT WAS KIND OF OUTSIDE THEIR PURVIEW, AND THEY TOOK NO ACTION ON THAT ITEM.
WHAT I'M GONNA DO IS KIND OF HIGHLIGHT FIVE OF THE ITEMS, UH, THAT THE COMMITTEE HAS LOOKED AT THAT, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE 32, SOME OF THEM ARE REAL CLERICAL, UH, JUST CHANGING A WORD OR TWO HERE, UH, SO THAT THE ENFORCEMENT DOESN'T REALLY CHANGE.
IT'S, UH, I THINK 11 OF THOSE 32 WERE INTERNAL ITEMS THAT CAME FROM STAFF VERSUS, UH, 21 THAT CAME FROM EXTERNAL, WHETHER THE INDUSTRY OR CITIZENS.
UH, SO A LOT OF THAT WAS CLERICAL AND JUST, YOU KNOW, THIS IS HOW WE ENFORCE IT.
THIS WAS BEING INTERPRETED DIFFERENTLY THAN HOW WE INTERPRETED IT.
SO WE WANT TO CLARIFY IT A LITTLE BIT.
UH, SO THOSE WEREN'T, WEREN'T REALLY A HIGHLIGHT HERE, UH, BUT THE FIVE THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT THAT ARE SIGNIFICANT CHANGES, UH, ONE OF THEM IS A CHANGE TO WHAT IS KNOWN AS A HILL COUNTRY GATEWAY CORRIDOR.
UH, SO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO HAS FIVE CORRIDORS, UH, KNOWN AS GATEWAY CORRIDORS.
THESE ARE TYPICALLY ALONG, UH, MAJOR THOROUGH FARES INTO THE CITY, AND THEY SET CERTAIN ZONING REQUIREMENTS ALONG THAT CORRIDOR.
UH, THE WHOLE CORRIDOR ITSELF HAS MULTIPLE FACETS APART IT, UH, AS PART OF IT THAT INCLUDES, YOU KNOW, SIZE OF BUILDINGS, WHAT COLORS AND MATERIALS, THOSE BUILDINGS CAN BE KIND OF SETTING A UNIFORM APPROACH ALONG THOSE CORRIDORS.
BUT PART OF THAT IS RULES ON BOTH ON-PREMISE AND OFF-PREMISE SIGNS ALONG THAT CORRIDOR.
THE HILL COUNTRY GATEWAY CORRIDOR WAS ORIGINALLY CREATED IN 2005.
DURING THAT MODIFICATION IN 2017, THEY REMOVED THE ABILITY FOR PEOPLE TO HAVE WHAT IS KNOWN AS A DIGITAL SIGN ON, ON-PREMISE, UH, BUSINESSES.
SO THERE IS NO RULE, OR THERE IS NO ALLOWANCE OR FOR AN OFF-PREMISE BILLBOARD, UH, TO BE DIGITAL.
BUT THIS IS SPECIFIC TO ON-PREMISE ONLY.
IT ORIGINALLY ALLOWED ON-PREMISE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS AT A REDUCED RATE THAN WHAT WOULD BE ALLOWED ANYWHERE ELSE IN THE CITY.
UH, BUT DURING THAT 2017 MODIFICATION, THEY REMOVED THE ABILITY TO HAVE ANY ON-PREMISE DIGITAL.
UH, WE'VE A BEEN ASKED TO LOOK AT THAT AND, AND RE REEVALUATE THAT AND MAYBE ALLOW DIGITALS ALONG THAT CORRIDOR.
RIGHT NOW, THAT ONE IS STILL, UH, PENDING ACTION.
WE'LL ACTUALLY BE HOLDING A MEETING DIRECTLY ON THAT CORRIDOR, UH, REACHING OUT TO ANY INDIVIDUAL THAT OWNS PROPERTY ALONG THAT CORRIDOR, SIMILAR TO OUR ZONING CASES.
UH, WE'RE WORKING ON THAT MAILING LIST RIGHT NOW, AND I'LL, I'LL HAVE IT UP LATER, BUT THE, UH, TENTATIVE DATE FOR THAT IS FEBRUARY 20TH TO, TO LOOK AT THAT ONE.
THE NEXT ONE IS TO, UH, ADJUST THE ALLOWED BRIGHTNESS LEVELS OF ON AND OFF-PREMISE DIGITAL BILLBOARDS.
SO FOR DIGITAL BILLBOARDS, WHICH DIGITAL COULD BE LEDS ARE AS SIMPLE AS, UM, YOU KNOW, THE GAS STATION LIGHTS THAT HAVE THE, THE, ANY TYPE OF SELF ILLUMINATED WOULD TYPICALLY BE CONSIDERED DIGITAL.
AND WE HAVE TWO RULES ON THE BRIGHTNESS ALLOWED AND MEASUREMENTS THAT WE LOOK AT WHEN APPROVING A DIGITAL SIGN.
ONE OF THEM IS CALLED A KNITS MEET READING.
UH, WE HAVE A CALIBRATED METER THAT WE GO AND LOOK AT THAT, AND WE TAKE A MEASUREMENT OF DIFFERENT SPECTRUMS OF COLORS.
AND IN OUR CODE, WE HAVE A TABLE SAYING YOU CAN'T EXCEED ANY OF THESE COLORS AT A CERTAIN KNITS RATING.
AND THE OTHER ONE IS A FOOT CANDLE, WHICH IS ANOTHER CALIBRATED EQUIPMENT THAT WE USE TO LOOK AT KIND OF THE BRIGHTNESS OF THOSE DIGITAL BOARDS.
SO A NEW BOARD, ANYTIME IT GOES FOR AN APPLICATION BEFORE IT'S ALLOWED TO BE TURNED ON AND FUNCTIONAL, WE TAKE BOTH OF THOSE READINGS.
AND IF THEY BOTH PASS, THEN WE APPROVE THE PERMIT AND THEY'RE ALLOWED TO START USING IT.
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THEY DON'T PASS, WE WORK WITH THEM, THE CONTRACTOR, THE INSTALLER, OR THE SIGN UNTIL THEY DO COME WITHIN COMPLIANCE, AND THEN WE ISSUE THE PERMIT AND ALLOW THEM TO, UH, FUN USE THAT SIGN.UH, THAT'S THE ONLY TIME THAT WE REALLY LOOK AT THAT UNLESS WE GET A COMPLAINT.
UH, SO ON AN ON-PREMISE SIGNS, IT'S REALLY JUST THAT INITIAL PERMITTING PHASE.
NOW, IF ANYBODY DOES HAVE A COMPLAINT, IF A CITIZEN THINKS A SIGN IS TOO BRIGHT, THEY CAN NOTIFY US.
WE'LL GO ABOUT OUT THERE, WE'LL LOOK AT IT.
IF IT DOES NOT PASS, THEN WE WILL NOTIFY THE, THE, THE OWNER OF THAT SIGN AND BRING THEM WITHIN COMPLIANCE.
AND WE HAVE LEGAL MEANS TO BRING 'EM WITHIN COMPLIANCE IF THEY'RE NOT READILY, UH, HELPING US OUT AND GETTING IT WITHIN THOSE, UH, READINGS.
UH, TYPICALLY THAT'S THE CASE.
BUT ONCE AGAIN, WE HAVE HAD A FEW ITEMS WHERE WE'VE HAD TO GO BEYOND JUST NOTIFYING THEM AND TAKE LEGAL ACTION AGAINST THEM.
UH, DIGITAL BILLBOARDS THOUGH, UH, THERE IS ONLY ABOUT A HANDFUL, I THINK 24, 27, UH, DIGITAL BILLBOARDS CURRENTLY ON THE OFF-PREMISE SIGNS.
UH, THOSE LOOK GET LOOKED AT AND MEASURED ONCE A YEAR.
UH, SO WE, UH, DO LOOK AT THOSE ANNUALLY, UH, AS PART OF THEIR PERMIT FOR OFF-PREMISE SIGNS.
WHAT WE'VE DONE DURING THIS REQUEST TO CONSIDER MODIFYING THAT, MAYBE REDUCING THE ALLOWED BRIGHTNESS.
UH, WE COMPARED OURSELVES TO OTHER CITIES.
KIND OF SEE WHERE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO'S MEASUREMENTS FOR BOTH KNITS AND FOOT CANDLES FELL.
UM, SOME CITIES DON'T REDO BOTH.
SOME ONLY DO ONE OR THE OTHER.
UH, BUT WE FOUND WE WERE KIND OF IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PACK FOR MANY OF THOSE CITIES.
UH, WE ALSO LOOKED AT ALL THE HISTORICAL DATA OF BOTH NEW INSTALLS AND COMPLAINTS OVER THE LAST FIVE YEARS TO SEE, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE PASS FAIL RATIO, SPECIFICALLY LOOKING AT COMPLAINTS.
WE SAW THAT ABOUT, UH, OVER 50% OF THOSE WERE IN ACTUAL FAILURE ONCE WE WENT OUT FOR A COMPLAINT AND SAW THAT, YOU KNOW WHAT, THEY'RE NOT IN COMPLIANCE ANYMORE.
AND REALLY INTERNALLY, WHAT WE LOOKED AT AND SAW WAS, IT'S NOT A COMPLIANCE ISSUE.
WE'RE INCONSISTENT WITH A LOT OF OTHER CITIES.
AND ONCE IN COMPLIANCE, THOSE BRIGHTNESSES SEEM TO BE ABOUT RIGHT, ESPECIALLY CONSUMER, SAY HOW MANY FAILURES WE'RE SEEING.
ONCE A COMPLAINT COMES IN, IT'S MORE OF A NOTIFICATION PROCESS.
SO WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT DOING IS, ONE, MAKING IT MORE READILY UNDERSTANDING TO THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO AND, AND OUR CITIZENS.
UH, HEY, IF YOU SEE A BRIGHT SIGN, HERE'S WHO YOU CONTACT.
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GONNA WORK WITH 3 1 1 AND, AND TRY TO ADD THAT TO THE 3 1 1 APP AND TRY CALLS, UH, GET MORE INFORMATION OUT THERE SO THAT IF THEY SEE A BRIGHT SIGN AND THEY JUST WANNA COMPLAIN ABOUT IT OR HAVE US CHECK UP ON IT, THEY CAN EITHER EMAIL, PHONE CALL, BUT HAVE A DIRECT SOURCE, UH, TO GET THAT ISSUED TO US SO THAT WE CAN GO OUT THERE AND, AND BE MORE RE UH, REACTIVE ON THAT.
UH, THE COMMITTEE HAS ALSO ASKED THE, UH, D SS D TO CONSIDER A PILOT PROGRAM, UH, WHICH WE'LL BRING BEFORE COUNSEL OF BEING A MORE PROACTIVE APPROACH.
SO INSTEAD OF WAITING FOR COM, UH, COMPLAINTS ON AN ON ON-PREMISE SIGN, UH, WE GO OUT THERE THROUGH A SET AMOUNT OF TIME THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, FIND SOME AREAS AND LOOK AT AND SEE, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY SIGNS ARE IN COMPLIANCE PROACTIVELY WITHOUT HAVING ANYBODY REACH OUT TO US.
UH, WE'LL DEFINITELY ENTERTAIN THAT IDEA, PUT SOME NUMBERS TOGETHER, SEE WHAT IT WOULD TAKE TO DO A PILOT PROGRAM, PRESENT THAT TO COUNCIL ALONG WITH THIS, UH, PROPOSED AMENDMENTS, AND GO FROM THERE WITH THAT ONE.
SO THOSE ARE KIND OF THE TWO THINGS WE DECIDED TO TAKE FROM THIS PROPOSED CHANGE, BUT ULTIMATELY LEAVE OUR CURRENT NUMBERS FOR BOTH KNITS AND, UH, FOOT CANDLES, WHERE THEY ARE.
THE NEXT ONE IN REGARDS TO, UM, ON, UH, OFF-PREMISE SIGNS, UH, SPECIFICALLY TALKING ABOUT DIGITAL WAS A PROPOSAL TO CONVERT PAINTED SIGNS.
SO SIGNS THAT DON'T CHANGE, THEY KIND OF PUT A, A PAINTED OR SET SIGN OUT THERE, WHICH ARE MOST OF THE BILLBOARDS THROUGHOUT THE CITY TO A DIGITAL SIGN.
SO THIS HAS BEEN A PROCESS THAT, YOU KNOW, AS I WAS SAYING BEFORE, CURRENTLY THE CITY HAS, UH, ABOUT 24 OR 28, UH, DIGITAL SIGNS CURRENTLY ON THE BILLBOARDS THAT CAME ABOUT THROUGH TWO DIFFERENT, UH, ORDINANCES THAT WERE ADOPTED BY CITY COUNCIL.
IT WAS, UH, BROUGHT TO CITY COUNCIL AND APPROVED THAT 14 PERMITS COULD BE ISSUED TO CONVERT AN EXISTING PAINTED SIGN TO A DIGITAL SIGN.
SO NO NEW STRUCTURES, BUT JUST A CONVERSION OF AN EXISTING SIGN TO A DIGITAL.
AND THE PROCESS THAT THAT LOOKED AT WAS, IF YOU TAKE DOWN EXISTING, UH, SIGNS THAT YOU HAVE IN YOUR INVENTORY THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THEN WE WILL ALLOW YOU TO CONVERT ONE.
UM, THEY HAD A LOT OF TABLES ON HOW SIZE, HOW MANY SIZE YOU CAN TAKE DOWN LIKE THAT.
BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THE ROUGH RATIO WAS IF YOU TOOK DOWN FOUR TIMES THE AMOUNT OF SQUARE FOOTAGE OF DIGITAL SIGN YOU WANNA PUT UP, WHICH TYPICALLY THOSE SIGNS WOULD BE ABOUT THE SAME SIZE.
SO IT'D BE TAKE DOWN FOUR SIGNS TO, TO GET ONE DIGITAL FACE, THEN WE WOULD APPROVE THAT PERMIT AND ALLOW YOU TO INSTALL THAT SIGN.
UH, OF THOSE 14 PERMITS THAT WERE ISSUED, 12 OF THEM WERE APPLIED FOR AND APPROVED.
AND SO WE HAD 12, UH, DIGITAL FACES GO UP.
WHEN YOU LOOK AT A TYPICAL, UH, BILLBOARD STRUCTURE, TYPICALLY YOU DO SEE SIGNS ON BOTH SIDES.
THIS WAS A SINGLE FACE, UH, CONVERSION.
SO ONE SIDE OF THAT BECAME DIGITAL, THE OTHER ONE REMAINED PAINTED AND DID NOT CHANGE.
IN 2017, UH, A REQUEST CAME LOOKING AT KIND OF THE SIMILAR APPROACH TO CONVERT THE OTHER SIDE, THE SECOND PHASE OF THOSE BILLBOARDS.
SO THE ORIGINAL 12 THAT WERE INSTALLED, THEY JUST ASKED, CAN
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WE CONVERT SOME OF THOSE TO TAKE OUR, OUR PAINTED FACE, DO A WHOLE LOT OF TAKE DOWNS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, ABOUT THE SAME RATIO OF FOUR TO ONE ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE.UH, AND ALSO A LOT OF THESE COMPANIES ALSO WENT THROUGH AND RE AND REMOVED A WHOLE LOT OF WHAT WE CALL JUNIOR BILLBOARDS, A LOT SMALLER ONES, USUALLY WITHIN KIND OF, UH, THE SMALLER STREETS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THEY REMOVED ALL OF THAT INVENTORY, UM, AND TOOK DOWN, UH, FOUR SIGNS OF THE EQUIVALENT SIZE.
SO THEY KINDA HAD THAT FOUR TO ONE SQUARE FOOTAGE, AND THEY WERE ABLE TO, UH, REFACE THE OTHER SIDE OF, OF, OF NINE OF THOSE 12, UH, BILLBOARDS.
SO AT THAT POINT, IT BECAME, UH, NINE SIGNS THAT HAD DUAL FACE, UH, DIGITAL THREE THAT STILL REMAINED WITH A STATIC OR A, UH, PAINTED ON THE OTHER SIDE.
AND ADDITIONALLY, WITH THAT, ANOTHER COMPANY CAME IN AND ASKED FOR A NEW, UH, CONVERSION OF ONE OF THEIRS.
SO IN ADDITION TO THE 12 THAT WE HAD ORIGINALLY FROM 2007, ONE OF THEM THAT WAS ORIGINALLY PAINTED ON BOTH SIDES GOT CONVERTED TO A, UH, THEY KIND OF USED ONE OF THOSE PERMITS THAT WEREN'T PICKED UP IN 2007 AND CONVERTED THAT TO A DUAL FACE, UH, THROUGH TAKE DOWNS.
SO THOSE WERE DONE THROUGH INDEPENDENT ORDINANCES, NOT THROUGH CHAPTER 28.
UM, SO WHAT WAS BROUGHT FORWARD WAS KIND OF A PROPOSAL TO TAKE THOSE ORDINANCES THAT WORKED OUT AND ADD THEM TO CHAPTER 28 AND SAY, YOU KNOW, CAN WE JUST KIND OF SAY THIS IS WHAT'S IN THE CODE AND WE JUST DO THIS WITHOUT HAVING TO GO TO CITY COUNCIL.
EACH TIME WE'VE UH, CREATED A WORKING GROUP WITH THIS, THAT WORKING GROUP'S MET SIX OR SEVEN TIMES.
WE HAVE A FEW FLYERS THAT COME OUT WITH THIS.
AND THERE ARE, UH, THOSE FLYERS ARE AVAILABLE ON OUR WEBSITE, UH, FOR ANYBODY ELSE WATCHING FROM HOME OR WATCHING A RECORDING OF THIS, UH, TO LOOK AT AND ANALYZE.
UH, BUT CURRENTLY WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS A PROPOSAL TO TAKE BEFORE, UH, THE COMMITTEE TO FINALIZE.
UH, BUT RIGHT NOW, YOU KNOW, BASED OFF, YOU KNOW, PENDING, UM, COMMUNITY FEEDBACK ON THIS PROPOSAL, I IF IT MOVES FORWARD PAST COMMITTEE TO, TO THE BUILDING RELATED FIRE CODES IN THE BILL BOARD INTO, UH, CITY COUNCIL.
WE'RE LOOKING AT A, A APPROVAL OF TAKE DOWNS OF ROUGHLY FOUR TO ONE, WHICH IS WHAT WE'VE HISTORICALLY SEEN IN THE OTHER TWO, UH, SQUARE FOOTAGE AND SIGNS.
UH, SOME NEW THINGS THAT WE REQUIRE WITH THIS IS WE'RE, WE'RE ISOLATING CERTAIN AREAS SAYING YOU CANNOT INSTALL, UH, DIGITAL SIGNS ANYWHERE IN KIND OF INTO THE DOWNTOWN AREA ARE KIND OF THE MAIN THOROUGHFARE COMING FROM THE AIRPORT TO DOWNTOWN.
WE UNDERSTAND THAT'S KIND OF A SIGNIFICANT AREA OF WHERE WE SEE A LOT OF, UM, OF OUR, I'M THINKING NOT, NOT OUR NEIGHBORS, BUT
UM, AND THEN FINALLY ALSO KEEPING IT OUT OF THE SMALLER ARTERIAL STREETS.
SO IT HAS TO BE AN EXPRESSWAY.
UH, AND ADDITIONALLY, THESE PROTECTED, UH, EXPRESSWAYS, SORT OF LIKE THE GATEWAY CORRIDORS AND A FEW OTHER, UH, PROTECTED GATEWAY OR EXPRESSWAYS, THEY WOULDN'T ALLOW THEM EITHER THERE AS WELL.
IT HAS TO BE AN EXPRESSWAY, HAS TO BE UNPROTECTED WITH OTHER ORDINANCES OR ZONING, AND CAN'T BE IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UM, SO THAT'S, AND IT'S ABOUT A FOUR TO ONE TAKEOVER.
NOW WE HAVE A FEW OTHER LIMITATIONS ON THERE THAT WE'RE ADDING AS FOOT, SUCH AS, UH, THE LIGHT, UH, THE BRIGHTNESS OF THE SCIENCE AND, AND REGULATIONS OF THAT TYPE.
UM, THAT FOUR TO ONE THOUGH IS ANOTHER PART OF THAT IS WE'RE ADDING INCENTIVE FOR THEM TO TAKE ON THE TAKE DOWNS TO COME OUT OF AREAS THAT ARE PROTECTED AS WELL.
SO IF YOU HAVE A BILLBOARD ON A GATEWAY CORRIDOR OR IN HISTORICAL AREA, OR ANY OTHER TYPE OF ZONE PROTECTED AREA THAT TECHNICALLY DOESN'T ALLOW ANY NEW BILLBOARDS, IF YOU TAKE IT DOWN FROM THERE, YOU WOULD GET AN ADDITIONAL INCENTIVE, UH, ROUGHLY ABOUT A 1.5 ON THE SQUARE FOOTAGE.
SO IF YOU TOOK DOWN A 600 SQUARE FOOT SIGN IN A PROTECTED AREA, YOU WOULD GET CREDIT FOR 900 SQUARE FEET VERSUS JUST 600 SQUARE FEET.
UH, SO WE'RE KIND OF INCENTIVIZING, YOU KNOW, WE DON'T WANT DIGITAL SIGNS IN THOSE AREAS, BUT WE REALLY WANNA BRING DOWN THE BILLBOARD INVENTORY.
THESE PROCESSES ACTUALLY WORKED PRETTY WELL.
UH, YOU KNOW, ABOUT 20 YEARS AGO WE HAD ABOUT 2000 BILLBOARDS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO THESE, THIS TAKE DOWN PROGRAM HAS, HAS BENEFITED THE CITY IN THE SENSE OF, OF REDUCTION OF BILLBOARDS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
THE LAST ONE ON THIS PAGE IS, UM, NEW SUBSECTION, ALLOWING BILLBOARD OWNERS TO ALLOCATE RELOCATION PERMIT, UH, TO BE USED TO ADJUST THE HEIGHT OF AN EXISTING BILLBOARD TO A MAXIMUM 85 FEET.
SO WHAT THIS IS, IS, UM, ALL BILLBOARDS IN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO ARE WHAT WE CALL NON-CONFORMING.
THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO MODIFY THEM.
THEY'RE ABLE TO, UH, KEEP 'EM MAINTAINED SO THEY DON'T BECOME, YOU KNOW, ANY LIFE HAZARD OF FALLING DOWN.
BUT THEY HAVE TO, THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO BUILD NEW ONES.
THEY'RE NOT, THEY'RE ALLOWED TO RELOCATE THROUGH SOME PROCESSES, UH, BUT FOR THE MOST PART, THEY'RE NOT ALLOWED TO CHANGE WHAT THEY HAVE AS AN INVENTORY.
NOW, OVER THE LAST 20 YEARS, WE HAVE SEEN SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN THE INTERSTATE SYSTEM OF SAN ANTONIO, UH, WHERE WE USED TO KIND OF HAVE THE FLAT CLOVER LEAFS ARE NOW BECOMING HIGH, HIGH, UH, OVERPASSES AND STUFF LIKE THAT AS THE INTERCHANGE.
AND SOME OF THESE INTERCHANGES ARE BLOCKING EXISTING DIGI UH, UH, PAINTED SIGNS, UH, ON THE BILLBOARDS.
UH, SO WE LOOKED AT THAT AND WE SAID ON THROUGH THIS PROPOSAL, IF YOU CAN PROVE TO US THAT ONE, THE SIGN WAS THERE
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BEFORE, UH, ANY CHANGES WERE MADE TO THE EXPRESSWAY OR THE HIGHWAY, UH, THAT CREATED AN OBSTRUCTION OF YOUR SIGN, THEN WE WOULD ALLOW YOU TO INCREASE THE HEIGHT OF THAT TO A MAXIMUM 85 FEET.SO CURRENTLY THE MAXIMUM OF A SIGN COULD BE FROM BASE OF THE SIGN TO THE VERY TOP OF THE SIGN IS 60 FEET.
WE WOULD ALLOW THEM TO GO ABOVE THAT AND AN EXTRA 25 FEET, UH, WHEN THEY'VE BEEN OBSTRUCTED BY NEW INSTALLATION.
NOW, SIMILAR TO WHAT WE WERE SEEING ON THE DIGITALS, WE DIDN'T WANNA SEE THIS KIND OF IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA.
UH, SO WE'VE, WE'RE GONNA HAVE, UH, SOME RULES IN THERE KIND OF SAYING, LOOK, WHERE WE HAVE THE DOUBLE DECKERS AND ANY OTHER CHANGES THAT MIGHT HAPPEN IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA, IT WOULD NOT BE ALLOWED IN THAT AREA.
IT'S MOSTLY KIND OF LOOKING AT THE LOOPS IN THE INTERSTATES, MOVING AWAY FROM, UH, THE DOWNTOWN AREA, THE LAST TWO THAT WE'RE LOOKING AT HERE.
THE, UH, EXCEPTION FOR REQUIREMENTS FOR SMALL TEMPORARY SIGNS PLACED ON PRIVATE PROPERTY WITH AN ANNUAL PERMIT.
SO THE REQUEST THAT CAME IN THROUGH HERE, UH, IS KIND OF TWOFOLD.
UH, WHAT WE HAVE IS, UH, WE'RE MOVING AWAY FROM BIG BILLBOARDS AND
THIS ONE IS SPECIFIC TO SIGNS THAT ARE NO BIGGER THAN TWO FOOT BY THREE FEET, BUT TYPICALLY THEY'RE A LITTLE BIT SMALLER THAN THAT.
THEY'RE KIND OF THE YARD SIGNS THAT YOU SEE FOR GARAGE SALES OR, YOU KNOW, I'M DOING THE WORK HERE.
AND WHEN SOMEBODY'S REROOFING A HOUSE, THEY KIND OF PUT UP A LITTLE SIGN THERE OR, OR FOR SALE SIGN, BUT TYPICALLY ABOUT THAT SIZE.
UM, ANOTHER, UH, A LOT OF TIMES YOU WOULD SEE THERE'S MAYBE IN AN APARTMENT COMPLEX, YOU'LL SEE THEM DRIVING BY TWO BEDROOMS AVAILABLE, UH, FREE MONTH RENT OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT FOR THE FIRST FIRST MONTH, UH, THAT WAS KIND OF BROUGHT TO US.
CURRENTLY, THOSE PERMITS ARE ALLOWED.
YOU CAN COME AND PULL THE PERMIT TO INSTALL THOSE SIGNS.
UH, YOU GET AN ANNUAL PERMIT, BUT THEN YOU HAVE TO BUY A STICKER THAT YOU AFFIXED TO THAT SIGN.
AND, YOU KNOW, IF YOU ADD A NEW SIGN, YOU GOTTA COME IN AND BUY THAT STICKER AGAIN.
AND YOU, AND THAT'S HOW WE KNOW THAT, HEY, THAT'S A PERMITTED SIGN.
AND THE RULES FOR THESE SIGNS ARE THEY CAN ONLY BE OUT STARTING ROUGHLY FRIDAY AND THEN THROUGH MONDAY.
SO THEY CAN'T BE INSTALLED THROUGHOUT THE WEEK.
IT'S MORE OF A KIND OF A WEEKEND, UH, TYPE THING.
THE REQUEST THAT CAME IN WAS LOOKING AT THIS FOR TWO DIFFERENT THINGS.
ONE, KIND OF LIKE THE APARTMENT COMPLEXES THAT WANNA BE ABLE TO HAVE THESE SIGNS IN FRONT ADVERTISING THINGS ABOUT THEM AND OTHER, ANY OTHER BUSINESS, OF COURSE.
BUT THE, THE, THE PRIMARY EXAMPLE USED DURING THE COMMITTEE MEETINGS WAS KIND OF, UH, APARTMENT COMPLEXES AND NOT HAVING TO HAVE THE HASSLE OF COMING DOWN TO THE CITY AND GETTING NEW PERMITS ALL THE TIME.
UH, YOU KNOW, THEY WERE LOOKING FOR AN ANNUAL PERMIT THAT WOULD JUST ALLOW THEM TO LEAVE THE SIGN UP.
AND THEN THEY ALSO WANNA CHANGE THAT, THAT TIME WINDOW FROM MONDAY OR FRIDAY TO MONDAY TO PRETTY MUCH 24 7 AS LONG AS THEY WANTED TO, UH, THE TWO.
SO WHAT WE'VE LOOKED AT IS TWO DIFFERENT SCENARIOS OF WHEN THIS WOULD, THIS PERMIT COULD BE APPROVED OR PULLED.
ONE WOULD BE, IF I'M A PROPERTY OWNER, I CAN PULL THAT PERMIT AND I CAN PUT A SIGN ON MY PROPERTY OR THE ADJACENT RIGHT OF WAY, AND I CAN, WITH THIS PERMIT, IT WOULD BE AN ANNUAL PERMIT.
I CAN INSTALL THAT SIGN, I CAN LEAVE IT OUT ANYTIME I WANT.
THE ONLY REQUIREMENT IS THE PERMIT NUMBER HAS TO BE ON THAT SIGN SOMEHOW.
ANOTHER TIME IS FOR COMMUNITY GROUPS SUCH AS HOAS OR HOUSING GROUPS THAT ARE COMING TOGETHER AND THEY WANNA BE ABLE TO ADVERTISE TO THEIR, UH, CITIZENS OR THE PEOPLE THAT LIVE WITHIN THAT, THAT COMMUNITY.
OUR COMMUNITY MEETINGS, YOU KNOW, HEY, WE'RE GONNA HAVE AN H O A MEETING AND THEY WOULD'VE PUT A BILL TO PUT THOSE SIGNS UP THROUGHOUT THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD.
UH, WE WOULD, YOU KNOW, THAT PERMIT WOULD ALLOW FOR THAT.
AS LONG AS THAT IS AN ORGANIZATION THAT'S REGISTERED WITH THE CITY CURRENTLY THAT REGISTRATION'S THROUGH OUR NEIGHBORHOOD AND HOUSING, UH, SERVICES DEPARTMENT.
I THINK THAT'S GONNA CHANGE BASED OFF THE CURRENT U D C, BUT WE'LL WORD IT IN SUCH A WAY THAT WHEREVER THAT REGISTRATION GOES, AND ALONG WITH THAT REGISTRATION, YOU GET, YOU KNOW, THE NAME OF THAT ORGANIZATION AND THEY SET A BOUNDARY.
SO AS LONG AS THEY INSTALL THOSE SIGNS WITHIN THAT BOUNDARY, THEN THAT PERMIT WOULD, UH, THEY WOULD BE ALLOWED TO DO THAT.
NOW, WE UNDERSTAND THE INTENT OF THIS REQUEST AND, YOU KNOW, ALLOWING PEOPLE TO, TO PUT UP SIGNS AND ADVERTISE.
OUR BIGGEST CONCERN IS IT'S GONNA REALLY INCREASE WHAT'S KNOWN AS BANDIT SIGNS.
SO HOME, YOU KNOW, I BUY UGLY HOME SIGNS ALL OVER THE CITY, OR, YOU KNOW, HOME FOR RENT AND JUST A NUMBER AND THAT TYPE OF STUFF.
WE POLICE THAT AS BEST WE CAN.
UH, YOU KNOW, WE, WE DO, UH, WHAT WE CALL BAND SIGN PICKUPS ON THE WEEKENDS AS A DEPARTMENT.
WE GO OUT AND WE'LL GRAB AS MANY OF THOSE AS WE CAN.
'CAUSE IT'S REALLY EASY TO SEE THAT THEY'RE UNPERMITTED 'CAUSE THEY DON'T HAVE THE LITTLE STICKER.
IF IT'S ALL IT IS, IS JUST A, UH, PERMIT NUMBER, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY COULD, YOU KNOW, THROW SOME NUMBERS OUT THERE.
WE'D ACTUALLY HAVE TO PULL OUR PER COMPUTERS OPEN, LOOK AT IT AND SEE.
IT WOULD REALLY HINDER OUR ABILITY TO POLICE BAND SIGNS.
SO STAFF DOES NOT RECOMMEND APPROVAL OF THIS ONE.
IT'S STILL PENDING IN COMMENTS, UH, FROM THE COMMITTEE.
UH, HOPE THAT, THAT WE HAVE A FEW ITEMS TO BRING FORWARD, UH, BOTH LEGALLY AND NOT.
UH, BUT THAT ONE'S STILL KIND OF OUT THERE.
NOT APPROVED YET, BUT STAFF HAS A LOT OF CONCERNS WITH THIS ONE DUE TO THE POTENTIAL FOR INCREASED BANDIT SIGNS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, FINALLY, UH, THE NEXT ONE IS KIND OF GOING BACK.
UM, YOU KNOW, THIS IS ANY SIZE SIGN.
THIS IS BOTH OFF-PREMISE AND ON-PREMISE, BUT WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS BRIGHTNESS OF SIGNS AND LIGHT POLLUTION.
SO THIS WAS KIND OF BROUGHT FORWARD, UH, BY A GROUP THAT'S WORKING, UH, TO REDUCE, UH, BRIGHT OR LIGHT POLLUTION THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, THEY WORKED, UH, REAL WELL
[00:25:01]
WITH OUR U D C DEPART, UH, UH, UPDATES EARLIER THIS OR LAST YEAR.AND WHAT THEY'RE LOOKING TO DO IS REQUIRE ACROSS THE CITY ON ANY NEW SIGNS, UH, THAT WE REDUCE THAT NIGHT POLLUTION BY ADDING SHIELDING TO ANY LIGHTS.
SO IF YOU HAVE A SIGN THAT'S NOT SELF ELIMINATED, YOU, YOU KNOW, SOMETIMES JUST PUT A LIGHT THAT SHINES ONTO THAT SIGN.
REQUIREMENT WOULD BE THAT INSTEAD OF BEING BELOW THE SIGN, SHINING UP, POLLUTING UP INTO THE AIR, IT'D BE A SIGN OR THE LIGHT WOULD BE UP TOP GOING DOWN.
ALSO HAVE SHIELDING ALONG THAT LIGHT SO THAT NO LIGHT BEAMS EXCEED ABOVE THE, THE HORIZONTAL.
SO LIKE, YOU KNOW, IF ALL YOUR LIGHTS SHOULD BE FOCUSED ON THAT, ON THAT SIGN AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE, BUT DEFINITELY NOTHING ABOVE THAT.
UM, AND THEN ON THE DIGITAL SIGNS, UH, ADDING SOME BAFFLES AND SOME, UH, THINGS THAT ALLOW THE TRAJECTORY OF THE LEDS FOR ANY DIGITAL SIGNS TO BE POINTED DOWN.
AND ADDITIONALLY IS, UH, LOOKING AT WHAT COLOR OF LIGHT OR TEMPERATURE OF THE LIGHT.
UH, SO AS LEDS HAVE COME OUT, I'VE KIND OF SEEN THIS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU GO TO HOME DEPOT, YOU GO TO BUY AN L E D LIGHT, YOU SEE A SPECTRUM OF, OF KELVIN TEMPERATURES KIND OF FROM BLUE TO YELLOW TENT.
UH, WHAT THEY WANT TO DO IS REDU, UH, REQUIRE IT TO BE AROUND 5,000 KELVIN.
UH, INSTEAD OF WHAT YOU CAN GET UP TO THE EIGHT, 9,000, UH, KELVIN'S, UH, IT'S HARD TO QUANTIFY.
EVEN
UH, BUT ULTIMATELY WHAT IT DOES IS JUST, IT DOES REDUCE THE, THE LIGHT POLLUTION GENERATED BY ANY, UH, LIGHT THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
UH, SPECIFICALLY SINCE WE'RE TALKING ABOUT SIGN CODE, THIS WOULD BE LIGHTS SPECIFIC TO SIGNS, UH, THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
NOW, THIS IS A, WAS APPROVED UNDER U D C FOR WHAT WE CALL THE MILITARY LIGHTING OVERLAY DISTRICTS.
UH, SO THESE ARE SPECIFIC DISTRICTS AROUND ALL THE MILITARY BASES WITHIN THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
SO THIS IS IN LINE WITH ALREADY WHAT'S REQUIRED UNDER THAT M L O D, WHICH ROUGHLY ENCOMPASSES ABOUT 40% OF THE CITY OF SAN ANTONIO.
UH, SO THE, THE REQUEST IS JUST TO KIND OF MAKE THAT UNIFORM FOR ALL SIGNS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
SO WHERE DO WE STAND? UH, WE ARE, THIS IS OUR THIRD COMMUNITY MEETING TO DISCUSS THIS.
UH, WE HAVE ONE MORE, I'M SORRY, TWO MORE.
UH, ONE AT JOHNSON LIBRARY ON THE 24TH.
ANOTHER ONE AT, UH, EAGLE LIBRARY ON THE 31ST.
AND TENTATIVELY, AS I WAS SPEAKING ABOUT THE, UH, SIGNIFICANT CHANGE ALONG THE HILL COUNTRY GATEWAY CORRIDOR.
UH, WE'RE GONNA DO ONE SPECIFICALLY ON THAT CORRIDOR.
UH, WE'RE GETTING A MAILING LIST OF EVERY PROPERTY ALONG THAT, JUST LIKE WE WOULD ON ANY ZONING CHANGE.
UH, SO WE CAN MAIL OUT DIRECTLY TO THOSE INDIVIDUALS, UH, THAT PROPOSAL.
SO MOSTLY THAT MEETING ON THE, ON MONDAY, FEBRUARY 29TH OR 20TH, I'M SORRY, THAT IS TENTATIVE, UH, FOR 6:00 PM TO 8:00 PM AT LEON SPRINGS ELEMENTARY, THAT'S GONNA BE FOCUSED ON THAT PROPOSED CHANGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, IF ANYBODY COMES AND WANTS TO TALK ABOUT ANY OTHER SIGN KILL STUFF, WE'LL DEFINITELY TALK ABOUT THAT.
BUT THE PRESENTATION AND, AND THE, THE PUSH FOR THAT MEETING, WE'LL BE TALKING ABOUT THE, UH, DIGITAL ON-PREMISE ALLOW ALLOWANCE ALONG THE HILL COUNTRY GATEWAY CORRIDOR, UH, ADDITIONAL INFORMATION.
SO I KNOW I'VE GONE OVER A WHOLE LOT.
UH, A LOT OF THIS STUFF CAN BE FOUND ON OUR WEBSITE.
SAN ANTONIO.GOV/DSD ARE ALSO ON THE SA SPEAKUP.COM.
UH, JUST LOOK FOR THE SIGN CODE UPDATES.
UH, WHAT WE HAVE ON THERE IS YOU CAN SEE ALL 32 OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS AND THE STATUS OF THOSE, UH, ALL, UH, NEW MEETINGS COMING UP.
SO WE STILL HAVE SOME COMMUNITY MEETINGS WE'LL PUT ON THERE.
ANYTHING ONCE WE MOVE TO THE FULL BOARD P C D C AND COUNCIL, MAKE SURE ALL THAT'S LISTED THERE.
AS WE MOVE FORWARD, UH, ONCE WE GET A LITTLE BIT CLOSER TO FINALIZING THOSE 32, WE'LL PUT UP A DRAFT OF CHAPTER 28 FOR REVIEW BEFORE WE MOVE TO THE FULL, UH, BUILDING RELATED FIRE CODES AND APPEALS BOARD MEETING, SO WE CAN GET SOME INPUT FROM THAT AS WELL.
UH, ALSO, IF ANYBODY WANTS TO REACH OUT TO US, UH, THE BEST ROUTE RIGHT NOW IS USING SIGN CODE REVIEW@SANANTONIO.GOV.
EMAIL US ANY QUESTIONS, ANY COMMENTS, ANY PROPOSED CHANGES.
AND THAT IS EVERYTHING I HAVE AS FAR AS THE PRESENTATION, AND WE'LL DEFINITELY OPEN IT UP TO ANY QUESTION ANYBODY HAS.
I'M HAPPY TO SWING BACK TO ANY OF THOSE SLIDES IF YOU'D LIKE TO GO OVER SOMETHING OR I CAN, UH, PULL UP, UH, ANY OF OUR PROPOSED CHANGES.
I'M, I'M AT ANYBODY'S LEISURE UNTIL Y'ALL TELL ME TO LEAVE ACTUALLY.
CAN YOU JUST REVIEW AGAIN, THE SMALL SIGN ONE THAT YOU'RE NOT REALLY SUPPORTING, BUT IT JUST SEEMS HAVING 'EM LIKE AT THE INTERSECTIONS AND SIGNS EVERYWHERE INSTEAD OF IN FRONT OF THE BUILDING.
I CAN SEE SMALLER SIGNS IN FRONT OF APARTMENT BUILDINGS AND WHAT THEY NEED, BUT, UH, MAYBE I MISUNDERSTOOD THAT THEY WANTED TO INCREASE THE SIGNAGE FOR, IT WOULDN'T REALLY INCREASE THE ALLOWED SIGNAGE.
UM, ALL OF THESE SIGNS YOU COULD PULL A PERMIT FOR ON THE BUSINESS SIDE, YOU KNOW, I
[00:30:01]
THINK MAYBE THE ONE WITHIN THE HOAS AND THE COMMUNITIES THAT MIGHT, YOU WOULD SEE AN INCREASED SIGNS IN THAT AREA BECAUSE THOSE AREN'T REALLY PERMITTABLE AT THIS POINT.UH, BUT AS FAR AS SMALL SIGNS THROUGHOUT THOSE, YOU COULD PULL A PERMIT FOR RIGHT NOW.
AND WE'RE NOT GONNA CHANGE SPACING AND NUMBERS AND STUFF LIKE THAT.
SO YOU WOULDN'T REALLY SEE MORE OF THEM IN THE SENSE THAT I PULLED MY PERMIT.
IT'S JUST, IT'D BE EASIER FOR THEM TO INSTALL IT AND LEAVE IT OUT LONGER.
SO RIGHT NOW THEY'RE ONLY ALLOWED TO BE OUT FRIDAY, BUT WHERE THEY CAN INSTALL THEM REALLY WON'T CHANGE.
UH, BASED OFF OF THIS, IT WOULD JUST BE REDUCING HOW HARD IT IS FOR THEM TO GET THE PERMITS.
SO INSTEAD OF HAVING TO COME DOWN HERE AND GET SPECIFIC STICKERS ISSUED BY D S D, THEY WOULD JUST GET A PERMIT ONLINE THAT'S GOOD FOR A FULL YEAR AND THEY WOULD JUST PUT THAT PERMIT NUMBER ON THE SIGN ITSELF.
UH, LIKE I SAID, YOU KNOW, IT'S, IT'S JUST A POLICING AT THAT POINT.
'CAUSE THEN IT WOULD BE HARDER FOR US TO, INSTEAD OF JUST SEEING THAT STICKER AND SAYING, OH YEAH, THAT'S ONE OF THE SIGNS WE APPROVED.
OH, YOU KNOW WHAT? I SEE A, I SEE A NUMBER.
I CAN'T JUST LOOK AT A NUMBER.
KNOW THAT, YOU KNOW, ANYBODY COULD PULL A NUMBER OUT, BUT WE'D HAVE TO ACTUALLY GO TO THAT PERMIT AND LOOK AT IT.
THAT IS AN ANNUAL PERMIT THAT'S ACTIVE RIGHT NOW.
UM, AND I, AND IT'S ON THE RIGHT OF WAY.
SO IS IT ADJACENT TO WHOEVER OWNS THAT PERMIT? OH, OKAY.
THAT'S THEIR PROPERTY'S DOWN AT THE END OF THE STREET.
SO WE WOULD STILL BE ABLE TO POLICE IT.
IT WOULD JUST SLOW DOWN OUR EFFORTS CONSIDERABLY.
BUT AT THAT INTERSECTION OR THE CROSSROAD, THE PROPERTY HAS TO BE RIGHT THERE TO, IF THEY PUT IT HAS TO BE ADJACENT TO THE PROPERTY.
ADJACENT TO THE PROPERTY, YES.
SO IF THEY HAVE A CORNER LOT, THEY HAVE MORE ADJACENT PROPERTY, SO YOU MIGHT SEE IT.
UH, BUT IT WOULD BE LIMITED TO WHATEVER THAT PROPERTY OWNER IS SPECIFICALLY.
THAT'S THE, YOU GOTTA HOLD IT.
ON THE SECTION 28.74, UM, I NOTICED YOU MENTIONED, UH, RIGHT AWAY, UM, HOPEFULLY THEY'RE NOT GONNA BE ALLOWED TO PUT 'EM ON GUARDRAILS OR LIKE FOAM POLES OR STUFF LIKE THAT.
NO, THEY, THEY STILL REQUIRE TO BE SELF-SUPPORTING.
UH, SO THE REQUIREMENTS THAT WE HAVE NOW SELF-SUPPORTING OF TWO TO THREE, UH, STAKES INTO THE GROUND AND CERTAIN HEIGHTS AND STUFF LIKE THAT IS STILL GONNA BE THERE.
SO THEY DO HAVE TO BE SELF-SUPPORTING.
SO TYPICALLY WHAT YOU WOULD SEE IS JUST THAT KIND OF METAL FRAME, UH, WITH TWO STAKES INTO THE GROUND AND THE PAPER ON TOP OF IT ATTACHED TO IT.
THAT WOULD BE TYPICALLY WHAT'S THERE.
THERE MIGHT BE A FEW OTHER MODIFICATIONS, BUT IT DOES HAVE TO BE SELF-SUPPORTING.
SO ATTACHMENT TO ANYTHING ELSE WOULD IMMEDIATELY ALLOW US TO PULL IT DOWN.
'CAUSE THE REASON WHY I SAY THAT IS THERE'S A, UH, FOOD TRUCK ON COLLIBRA AND TIMBER VIEW, UH, TACO TRUCK AND IT HAS A SIGN, A BANNER THAT SAYS, NOW OPEN AND IT'S HANGING ON THE GUARDRAIL.
AND I'VE ALREADY MADE A COMPLAINT AND THEY SAID THERE WAS NO VIOLATION.
HOW COULD THERE NOT BE A VIOLATION THAT'S ON THE GUARDRAIL? WE'LL DEFINITELY RESEARCH THAT AND FIGURE OUT AND DOUBLE CHECK.
YOU GOT ANOTHER ONE FOR US? OKAY.
HEY, PEPPER ME, ANYTHING I CAN DO TO, TO, TO BETTER THIS CODE? ACTUALLY THIS IS ABOUT THE SURVEY.
I'M NOT SURE LISTENING TO THIS AND THEN READING THOSE SURVEY QUESTIONS, I, THEY DON'T SEEM SIMILAR.
AND SO CAN YOU CLARIFY WHAT YOU WERE TRYING TO DO WITH THE SURVEY? 'CAUSE I SORT OF SAID NO TO EVERYTHING, BUT I MIGHT NOT HAVE IT JUST REALLY DIDN'T CAPTURE WHAT YOU WERE PRESENTING.
YEAH, I MEAN, YOU KNOW, IT'S BEEN A LITTLE BIT SINCE I'VE SPECIFICALLY LOOKED AT THE SURVEY, BUT THE REAL INTENT IS, YOU KNOW, WHAT IS THE CITY'S THOUGHTS ON INCREASING DIGITAL BILLBOARDS FOR THE PAYMENT OF REDUCING THE NUMBER OF BILLBOARDS AS A WHOLE ACROSS THE CITY.
SO IF, IF I AM, YOU KNOW, LET'S MOVING A LITTLE BIT AWAY FROM SQUARE FOOTAGE.
IF YOU JUST SAY, HEY, ALL BILLBOARDS ARE 600, 600 SQUARE FEET RIGHT NOW, IF I WANNA PUT UP A 600, UH, SQUARE FOOT BILL, UH, DIGITAL BILLBOARD, NOT PUT UP, I APOLOGIZE, BUT CONVERT.
SO NO NEW STRUCTURES, BUT I HAVE A 600 SQUARE FOOT STATIC OR PAINTED BILLBOARD AND I WANT TO CONVERT THAT TO DIGITAL.
I HAVE FOUR OTHER BILLBOARDS THROUGHOUT THE CITY.
IS THAT SOMETHING THE CITY, YOU KNOW, I WOULD ACCEPT, YOU KNOW, WE'RE TRYING TO GET A SURVEY OF THE CITY OF WOULD YOU ACCEPT MORE DIGITALS FOR LESS BILLBOARDS ACROSS THE CITY? UM, AND THEN I THINK THE OTHER SIGNIFICANT QUESTION OF THAT ONE IS, WOULD YOU ACCEPT A LITTLE BIT LESS TAKEDOWNS ACROSS THE CITY IF YOU GET 'EM OUT OF, YOU KNOW, OFF SAN PEDRO, OFF BANDERA, OUT OF PROTECTED CORRIDORS, OUT OF, UH, HISTORICAL AREAS, THINGS LIKE THAT.
WOULD YOU, INSTEAD OF BEING A FOUR TO ONE TAKEDOWN, IT'S A THREE TO ONE TAKEDOWN OR THREE AND A HALF TO ONE TAKE DOWN BY ENCOURAGING THEM TO TAKE IT OUT OF THESE AREAS AND HAVE 'EM ONLY SEEING BILLBOARDS ALONG MAJOR EXPRESSWAYS AND STUFF LIKE THAT WHERE WE TYPICALLY WOULD SEE THEM.
SO THAT'S, THAT'S THE TRUE INTENT OF THE, OF THE SURVEY.
AND DEFINITELY HAPPY TO, YOU KNOW, REEVALUATE THAT.
YOU KNOW, THESE WERE QUESTIONS THAT PREDOMINANTLY CAME FROM THE COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE, UH, CHAIR,
[00:35:01]
BUT HAPPY TO TAILOR THEM AND MAKE SURE THAT THEY ARE PRESENTING THAT INFORMATION CORRECTLY.YEAH, IT SOUNDED LIKE, YOU KNOW, MAYBE, YOU KNOW, EIGHT FOR JUST EVER VERSUS EIGHT A YEAR, WHICH, OH, CORRECT.
LET ME LEMME STEP BACK TO THAT, INTO SOMETHING LIKE THAT.
THE, THE GUIDELINES, IT'S STILL A LITTLE BIT OF A PILOT PROGRAM IS WHAT THEY'RE, UH, THE COMMITTEE'S RECOMMENDING AT THIS POINT.
SO WHILE WE'RE PUTTING IT INTO CHAPTER 28, IT WOULD STILL KIND OF HAVE A, A CLAUSE SAYING, THIS IS ONLY FOR THREE YEARS AND IT WOULDN'T BE AN OPEN-ENDED TAKE DOWN AS MANY AS YOU WANT.
IT IS A MAXIMUM OF POTENTIALLY EIGHT, UH, BILLBOARDS OR 16 FACES.
SO, SO YOU CAN ONLY, YOU KNOW, IF YOU DECIDE YOU ONLY PUT UP ONE FACE AND CONVERT THAT TO, UH, TO DIGITAL, THEN YOU WOULD ONLY BE ABLE TO DO, UH, THAT EIGHT FACES INSTEAD OF 16 TOTAL.
BUT POTENTIALLY IT WOULD BE 16.
BUT IN ORDER TO DO THAT 16, YOU WOULD'VE TO TAKE DOWN 64 TOTAL IF YOU DID THE SAME SIZE SQUARE FOOTAGE.
UM, YOU KNOW, WITH THIS, YOU KNOW, IF YOU TAKE DOWN SMALLER, UH, PAINTED BILLBOARDS, IT MIGHT BE HIGHER TAKE DOWNS, JUST SMALLER BILLBOARDS.
'CAUSE WHAT WE'RE LOOKING AT IS ACTUAL SQUARE FOOTAGE OF DIGITAL AND, UH, PAINTED CONVERSION.
UH, BUT YEAH, IT WOULD BE A MAXIMUM OF EIGHT, YOU KNOW, AND, UM, YOU KNOW, TWO OF THOSE PER YEAR.
SO MAXIMUM OF 24, IF THIS PROGRAM AS, AS PRESENTED MOVES FORWARD AND IS APPROVED BY COUNCIL, UM, ANY CHANGES, YOU KNOW, ANYTHING BEYOND THAT WOULD'VE TO TAKE, YOU KNOW, COUNCIL CONSIDERATION, UH, TO EXTEND IT, UH, THINGS LIKE THAT.
AND, YOU KNOW, THE, AND IT'S A MAXIMUM OF THAT, BUT POTENTIALLY LESS THAN THAT IS.
WELL, BECAUSE THE WAY IT'S WORDED IS, UH, THE, THE, THE LAYOUT OF THE BILLBOARDS IS HOW MANY OWNS THESE 875 BILLBOARDS OUT THERE.
SOME OF THESE BILLBOARD OWNERS THAT COULD CONVERT ONLY HAVE EIGHT BILLBOARDS AS A WHOLE, AND TWO OF THOSE ARE DEDICATED TO THOSE SMALLER PLAYERS, SMALLER INVENTORY PEOPLE.
SO THEY MIGHT JUST LOOK AT IT AND SAY, YOU KNOW WHAT, NO, IT'S NOT WORTH IT FOR ME TO LOSE HALF MY INVENTORY TO GET A DIGITAL BILLBOARD, SO I'M NOT GONNA TOUCH IT.
SO POTENTIALLY IT ONLY MIGHT BE SIX WHERE SIX OF THOSE ARE ALLOCATED TO THE, SOME OF THE BIGGER, UH, OUTFITS THAT HAVE A LOT MORE INVENTORY.
SO, YOU KNOW, THOSE WILL MOST LIKELY, UH, THROUGH THIS PROCESS, NO GUARANTEED, ESPECIALLY OVER THREE YEARS.
UH, YOU KNOW, THAT WE WOULDN'T SEE THAT IN THE NUMBER OF DIGITAL FACES, BUT I WOULD SAY IT'S A, THE HIGH LIKELIHOOD THAT WE WOULD, UM, TO YOU WOULD, I WOULD ASSUME MOVING FORWARD, TALKING TO COUNCIL, YES, WE WOULD DEFINITELY SEE THESE SIX GET TAKEN UP ON THESE PERMITS, BUT MAYBE NOT ALL EIGHT.
AND ESPECIALLY AS WE MOVE INTO YEAR TWO AND THREE, BECAUSE REALLY THE INVENTORY JUST GOES DOWN.
YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THESE SMALLER PLAYERS HAVE NOW, IF THEY WENT THROUGH THE PROCESS, HAVE EXHAUSTED THE INVENTORY AND ALL THEY HAVE LEFT IS DIGITALS A SURVEY JUST DIDN'T CAPTURE THAT.
AND, AND ALSO YOU, IT'LL GET A NEGATIVE 'CAUSE NO ONE WANTS SIGNS, SO YOU MIGHT NOT BE GETTING REALLY A TRUE PICTURE OF THE CHANGES YOU'VE BEEN MAKING.
WHICH A LOT OF THEM ARE WONDERFUL CHANGES.
AND, YOU KNOW, FOR ALL INTENTS AND PURPOSES, THEY'RE GONNA BE THERE.
YOU KNOW, I, I DON'T WANNA SAY INDEFINITELY.
I MEAN, THE WHOLE POINT IS THEY'RE NOT SUPPOSED TO BE MAINTAINED IN SUCH A SENSE THAT THEY KEEP INDEFINITELY, BUT WE ALSO HAVE TO MAINTAIN 'EM TO WHERE THEY'RE SAFE.
SO IT'S KIND OF A TRADE OFF OF SAFETY,
UH, SO THE, REALLY WHAT THE INDUSTRY IS SAYING IS IF YOU WANNA REDUCE INVENTORY OF BILLBOARDS THROUGHOUT THE CITY, THE DIGITAL CONVERSION IS THAT, IS THAT OPPORTUNITY, UH, THAT THEY'RE WILLING TO, TO PARTICIPATE IN.
SO IT'S REALLY JUST WHAT DOES THE CITY WANT? DOES THE CITY WANNA SAY, HEY, YOU KNOW WHAT, YOU KNOW, I WOULD LOVE TO SEE 300 SIGNS COME DOWN AND FOR, YOU KNOW, FOR X NUMBER OF DIGITAL BILLBOARDS TO COME UP.
THEN, YOU KNOW, THAT'S, THAT'S WHAT WE, THAT'S WHAT WE WANT THE SURVEY TO PROVIDE.
SO WE CAN TAKE THAT TO CITY COUNCIL WHEN WE PROPOSE THIS, UH, TO THEM.
ONCE AGAIN, LET ME JUST, UH, SO THESE ARE THE WEBSITES.
THE SURVEY IS FOUND ON THE SA SPEAKUP.COM.
WE'LL WORK, UH, DILIGENTLY TO GET THAT UPDATED.
WE'LL HAVE Y'ALL REVIEW IT AND WE'LL TRY TO GET THAT WRAPPED UP BY TOMORROW.
A MINUTES HERE ACTUALLY THAT OVERSEAS ARE, UH, SURVEY AND UH, THE EMAIL.
SO IF Y'ALL HAVE ANY COMMENTS OR QUESTIONS, REQUESTS, FEEDBACK YOU WOULD LIKE TO PROVIDE, UH, DEFINITELY SIGN CODE REVIEW@SANANTONIO.GOV.
UH, MR. SHANNON, ANYTHING YOU WOULD LIKE TO SAY? OKAY, PERFECT.