Letter: Say ‘no’ to electronic digital signs
To the community,
Several people have said to me that they do not want to see electronic digital signs in our beautiful county. So why are digital signs included in the proposed new sign ordinance? Does the majority of the public even know that digital signs are being proposed in the new sign ordinance? The county confirmed that it did not perform any surveys or polls to see if residents want the digital signs.
El Dorado County residents must speak up and voice their concerns to the Board of Supervisors if they do not want to see electronic digital signs in El Dorado County. People visit and live in El Dorado County to get away from the hustle and bustle of the city, not to be bombarded with digital signage. It would be in our best interest to find less invasive and more aesthetically pleasing ways to promote local businesses and events.
The Board of Supervisors will hold a hearing on the proposed new sign ordinance on July 28 at 2pm. Make your concerns heard by either emailing the supervisors or attending the meeting.
Email the Board of Supervisors:
1. Ron Mikulaco, Supervisor District I, 530.621.5650, bosone@edcgov.us
2. Shiva Frentzen, Supervisor District II, 530.621.5651, bostwo@edcgov.us
3. Brian Veerkamp, Supervisor District III, 530.621.5652, bosthree@edcgov.us
4. Michael Ranalli, Supervisor District IV, 530.621.6513, bosfour@edcgov.us
5. Sue Novasel, Supervisor District V, 530.621.6577, bosfive@edcgov.us.
The agenda for the July 28 meeting will be posted here when available.
A photo example of the digital signs is available here.
This is our chance to stand up and defend our beautiful county. Please join me.
Jeannette Maynard, Shingle Springs
I agree… Why are we wasting money on not needed, ugly signage when we can’t even afford a shuttle van or small bus out to Meyers !!!!… INSULTING!!
I applied for an L.E.D. genre sign 7 years ago and was denied.
However, I notice the gas stations are now using this technology. I’m told the Shell station on Lake Tahoe Blvd. didn’t even pull a permit !
Also, the High School, Bijou Elementary and Sierra House School already use moving text messages with L.E.D. lighting.
These would be far more attractive than those boards that advertise the bunny ranch you see on the way to Tahoe. Allowing them on county property brings revenue to the county, offsetting a very small percentage of the tax burden.
I’m more concerned about power consumption, their environmental impact (light pollution), and added distraction for drivers.
They should be definitely banned along 50 east of Placerville. Enough amateurs on that road braking uphill on a curve; floating over the yellow line from oversteering or the shoulder because of understeering and traveling at 35 mph between passing lanes and then hitting speeds upward of 70 to prevent anyone getting past them.
With some design restrictions I think these signs are a welcome addition to our community. The author should speak for herself and for her own community. As for the billboards along the highway the new one near Carson City can be read clearly and easily and looks much better than previous signage
Kae – is there a collective email for the Board of Supervisors? Many places have them and should have an easy way to send the entire Board one message. When I used to write the City Council in Belmont, the address would be
citycouncil@belmont gov
This would make it easier to contact them all and cc in the clerk who prepares their agenda, etc.
El Dorado County clerk of the board: edc.cob@edcgov.us
LTN staff
If I wanted to be surrounded by urban features, it would be a lot less expensive to move to a big city out of the Basin (or even to Stateline). But I don’t. I live here to get away from that (and I gladly pay extra to do so). Our powers-that-be seem intent to keep finding new ways to make us more urban. I frankly do not need to know it will take me 8-9 minutes to get from the Y to Meyers, or 14-15 minutes from Meyers to Strawberry. Use our signs on busy weekends if need be for tourists, but otherwise I don’t want to see these new city-esque messages.
As for bunny ranch signs and so on, there would be nothing to prevent those same places from advertising with a new electronic sign, so it’s not an either/or.
Shenja, I hear you on the transit. So much money wasted on other things when it could be put to good use for better transit!
Sadly, Lake Tahoe is becoming more urban and many of the Area Plans have pushed the urban designation to allow for transportation districts, local jurisdictions, etc. to obtain funding sources.
Yes, the signs at the Y and in Meyers remind me of a bay area persons commute down in suburbia. Next the board will want Fast-Passes installed. Keep that crap in the bay area!! It is not needed nor wanted up here.
Oh no! We’re becoming suburbia!
I laugh at those folks who like to pretend this town was better off with run down motel properties that lined Hwy 50 30 years ago that made the Hwy 50 corridor look like a skid row motel strip that belonged in Waco, Texas. The “good ole days” are a figment of the imagination, and have no correlation to reality.
Shenja- I was told years ago by a resident in the county that people who live out there don’t want public transit into their neighborhoods. I don’t know why that shocked me, but it did.