Business owners and the public will have an opportunity Tuesday night to speak to the Gloucester County Board of Supervisors about proposed revisions to the county’s sign ordinance.
The board will also hold public hearings on the Virginia Department of Transportation’s six-year plan and on postponing the effective date of the county’s next general assessment. Public hearings will begin at 8 p.m. in the colonial courthouse. The regular meeting will begin at 7.
Signs
The Gloucester County Planning Commission has worked on revisions to the county’s sign ordinance for many months. The proposed changes to the zoning ordinance regarding signs are comprehensive, but essentially provide new and modified definitions to clarify the types of signage prohibited and permitted, according to planning director Anne Ducey-Ortiz.
The proposed changes address types of illuminated signs that are prohibited and permitted; provide for the adequate maintenance of signs and add regulations on nonconforming signs. They will also require sign removal or blanking of signs that no longer serve an operating establishment.
The revisions provide clarification on the measurement of sign area and modify the size, height and setbacks of signs in each zoning district.
The proposed changes also make provisions for shopping center signs and office and industrial park signs, listing exempt and prohibited signs.
The ordinance, if changed, will prohibit electronic display signs except for time, temperature, date and fuel prices.
Finally, the proposed ordinance also includes language to provide for types of temporary signs not currently permitted, including seasonal banners, agritourism, grand openings, sandwich boards, construction and business temporary signs.
Many business owners expressed their concerns about some of the proposed changes when the board met with the planning commission last month to formally discuss the revisions.
As a result, Debby Lockwood, who owns Lockwood’s Carpets with her husband Jim, has organized a meeting for business owners to review the draft of the proposed revisions. That meeting will begin at 7 o’clock tonight at Lockwood’s Carpets, located on Route 17 just south of Gloucester Court House.
General assessment
On another matter, the board will hold a public hearing to amend county code to delay the effective date of the county’s next reassessment from Jan. 1, 2012 to Jan. 1, 2013.
The board of supervisors was provided a report from the county’s reassessment team regarding its recommendations for the reorganization of the real estate assessment department and process. The delay was recommended due to the time needed for the implementation of the team’s suggestions.
VDOT plan
The board of supervisors and VDOT will hold a joint public hearing on the proposed secondary road six-year plan for fiscal years 2012 through 2017 in Gloucester and on the secondary system construction budget for 2011-2012 fiscal year.
Other matters
In other news, the board will discuss providing an additional appropriation for the county’s ailing utilities fund; discuss debris removal options regarding the April 16 tornado; discuss whether to authorize an application for the burn building, and will hear an update on septic tank pump-out notifications.