South Lake Tahoe passes sign ordinance on 3-2 vote
By Kathryn Reed
Unable to compromise, Tom Davis and Bruce Grego voted against the latest version of South Lake Tahoe’s sign ordinance.
Still, it passed with a 3-2 vote. This was the first reading, with the second likely to be at the Oct. 18 meeting. Then it becomes the law 30 days later.
Tom Davis wants a broad sign ordinance -- a change from seven years ago. Photo/LTN
One of Davis’ issues is wanting any color of decorative lights, not just white or blue as had been proposed. To this, his colleagues agreed.
What the majority would not agree to were allowing sandwich board signs to be used anytime and for the council to hear appeals instead of planning commissioners. Those were sticking points for Davis and Grego.
Davis hasn’t always had this free spirit about signs.
In April 2004 when he was on the City Council he said, “I’m trying to strike a balance, but we don’t want it to look like little Tijuana.”
On Oct. 4 he said, “I believe in free enterprise all the way. I want to give businesses as many advantages as possible.”
While much of the discussion this year during the laborious sign discussions has been about how difficult the economy is now and that businesses should be allowed to do what they can to attract customers, this same argument has been made for years.
In April 2004 when the economy was humming on the South Shore, Hal Cole made that same desperate argument. At a meeting seven plus years ago he said, “I want to visually upgrade our corridor. But on the other hand, I know how tough proprietors have it to make a living in this town.”
With the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency having sign regulations on the books since 1998, the city and five counties in the basin must abide by it or create stricter rules. South Tahoe has been going back and forth, with each council coming up with its own version and enforcement never existing.
While staff says enforcement is coming – that’s always been said.
This is not the first time Grego has been on his soapbox about the council needing to have the last word. Councilwomen Claire Fortier and Angela Swanson along with Cole said the planning commissioners are more than capable of ruling on whether a business is complying with the sign ordinance.
Grego tried to do a bit of horse-trading with his colleagues to get what he wanted, but the three stuck by their convictions. Grego said he really wanted a 5-0 vote. The majority said they were good with the motion as presented that eventually passed.
In other action:
• Grego asked for an item to be put on a future agenda to discuss taxing Heavenly Mountain Resort. Cole said he’d agree to a broader discussion about the cost analysis of having Heavenly and other businesses pay for their share of fire costs and wear-and-tear to roads. Eventually, it was decided to have the Fiscal Sustainability Committee, which has yet to be tasked with any homework, to look into the issue. This group next meets in three weeks.
More fines and hassles for local businesses struggling to stay in business, from the socialists and nannies on the city council.
I continue to repeat my challenge to these misguided and inept city council members to cite one single thing they have done which has made our lives any easier or less expensive.
My challenge continues to go unanswered, while the campaign promises of this group continue to be violated.
They promised to fix the roads and ended up spending a pathetic $100K on a $200 million problem. They promised to look out for local businesses and instead they treat them like ATM machines. They said they would cut back, but the overall budget is even bigger. They said they would protect medical mj patients and instead passed the most oppressive and punitive ordinance in the state.
What a terrible disappointment this council has turned out to be.
go Kubby!
The roads sure are the pits. All that was spent was a hundred grand?
wow.
This winter is going to be bumpy.
This council has demonstrated an inability to make a timely decision. Everything takes so long. Now Grego wants to tie up the council by having them weigh in on every sign ordinance violation. Bruce, you didn’t even make the vote for the city general plan or staffing discussion. How will the council have time for every appeal when they issues like budget, snow removal, etc are so paramount to our future.
Wow now i can sleep better at night what a crew.
No other gov. agency, in the basin has a sign ordinance, cuz its the TRPA area of enforcement. Let them enforce and save the city money. If TRPA enforced their own sign ordiance thenmy business and othersin SLT would be treated the same as other business in the basin.
I am disappointed (although not surprised) about how much time the Council has spent on this one issue. A Council that is not capable of prioritizing or time management will never be able to tackle, let alone solve, truly important issues impacting our community.
We are (still)doomed.
Lou Pierini correctly points out only SLT enforces TRPA sign issues. This is a perfect example of how the city council always acts as an additional layer of hassles, fines and regulations, instead of actually helping make our life any easier or less expensive.
“THATS ONE HELL OF A UGLY PICTURE!”
Clear Water,
That’s one hell of an inappropriate comment.
lol!
Im Ryan, you may have seen me shaking that sign at verizon wireless. now im layed off because of this “sign ordinance”.i like how were just taking away jobs from a town that desperately needs them. good lookin’ out…
I understand the hope to have our corridor look like a unified mountain village with the correct signage lighting and beautiful wooden structures. Don’t we wish the big money players a decade ago would have invested more in the future before the Indian Casinos hung us by you know what. Now try to undo the seventies buildings that are seriously vacant with a demand to make it look like we are as busy as we want to be. I joke that don’t worry, the ugly signs will not be lit for long as businesses are crumbeling left and right. Even Sears is down for the count?
As for the only rememberance of the good ole days, the Stardust sign, I say leave it! I love nostalgia and they maintain the property better than most. Where do we begin? How about more business so everyone can afford to spruce up their properties? Easier said than done right? One thing I know for sure , this city needs to pump life into the wedding industry not a re-defining of what’s north and south.