HomeMy WebLinkAboutIR 7096 INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7096
March 4, 1986
To the Mayor and Members of the City Council
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*raXACO Subject: CITY COUNCIL S-1.0-0MMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OFF-PREMISE
ct. AND ON-PREMISE SIGNS ........
Background
The 69th Legislature of the State of Texas, in Regular Session on May 31,
1985, approved H.B. No. 1330 for the regulation of off-premise and on-premise
signs. This bill became Chapter 221 of Vernon's Annotated Civil Statutes.
On June 12, 1984, following the recommendation of the Zoning Commission, the
City Council adopted C.P. 113 which amended the Zoning Ordinance to regulate
off-premise advertising, effective June 21, 1984. At the time of the passage
of these amendments to the Zoning Ordinance, the staff, including representa-
tives from the City Attorney's Office, advised the Zoning Commission and City
Council that on-premise sign regulations also must be examined and treated in
somewhat the same manner as off-premise signs. Staff subsequently drafted
Zoning Ordinance on-premise sign regulations.
On February 18, 1985,- the City Council Sign Committee met with the City staff
to consider items related to the City of Fort Worth's sign program. Items of
consideration were:
1. Amendments to the Sign Ordinance;
2. On-premise sign amendments to the Zoning Ordinance;
3. Enforcement of sign controls in Fort Worth's extra-territorial juris-
diction (ETJ) ;
4. Alternatives for abatement of non-conforming signs .
Amendments to the Sign Ordinance
The City of Fort Worth Sign Ordinance is being amended so that existing defi-
nitions in the Zoning Ordinance and the Sign Ordinance will not conflict.
Also included are amendments to clarify legal notice for violations, to up-
date fees and to clarify the height measurement of signs. The Construction
and Fire Prevention Board of Appeals will review these amendments on March
13, 1986. It is anticipated they will set a public hearing for April , 1986,
and after reviewing the public comments, send a proposed amendment recommen-
dation to the City Council . The Committee instructed the staff to process
the proposed amendements.
On-Premise Sign Amendments to the Zoning Ordinance
City' Council Sign Committee has reviewed the staff's proposed Zoning Or-
dinance on-premise sign regulations. These provisions adopt spacing stan-
dards, area standards and height standards. The Council Sign Committee has
instructed staff to distribute the proposed amendments to various business
organizations for review prior to a Zoning Commission hearing tentatively
scheduled for April 15, 1986.
Enforcement of Sign Controls in the ETJ
H.B. 1330 requires all signs within the State of Texas to have permits. The
mop", bill allows cities, such as Fort Worth, to enforce its sign provisions within
its ETJ. Where cities do not elect to enforce provisions in the ETJ, the
State of Texas must do so. The Council Sign Committee has elected to recom-
mend that the ETJ be left to the State of Texas for sign enforcement.
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS
INFORMAL REPORT TO CITY COUNCIL MEMBERS No. 7096 - p.2
010"PTIp'a To the Mayor and Members of the City Council March 4, 1986
- Subject: CITY COUNCIL SIGN COMMITTEE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR OFF-PRLMISE
1071 AND ON-PREMISE SIGNS
Alternatives for Abatement of Non-Conforming Signs
The City Council Sign Committee reviewed the options defined by State law for
abatement of off-premise signs that do not meet the City's current regula-
tions and concluded that all current off-premise signs should be made legal
non-conforming (grandfathered) . The City Council Sign Committee recommends
that the City Council set aside the amortization method of sign control in-
cluded in the Zoning Ordinance, thus non-conforming the off-premise signs the
same as on-premise signs in the proposed on-premise ordinance. In this man-
ner, both are being treated alike. The Committee believes that attrition
would take care of many of the off-premise boards long before they have
reached the end of the life-expectancy cycle. The City Council will still be
able to exercise other provisions of the Act to remove signs they find to be
particularly objectionable.
'
Recommendation
It is recommended that the City Council concur with the findings and recom-
mendations of the City Council Sign Committee and direct staff to prepare and
process all ordinance amendments necessary to implement same.
If additional information is desired, it will be furnished upon request.
Auglas Hlarma
city Manager
ISSUED BY THE CITY MANAGER FORT WORTH, TEXAS