3/31/2005

Ok, I'll admit it. I'm obsessed with the Sign Code!

Another thing our City Government did at the meeting yesterday morning is pull up some pictures of some of the "less attractive" signs around town. Then they used the miracle of modern computing to change the signs to appear as they would if they were conforming to the new sign code (Thanks to Cheryl Patton for sharing the photos with me).

Below you can see the 'before' picture of our own Poquito Villa on 10th Ave. So. Note how offensively tall the sign is, and the unconscionable way one is able to see underneath the bottom of the individual signs. Also note how incredibly big and ugly the wall signs are. Then, scroll down a little more, and you can see the computer generated version.

Notice how much more attractive it looks with the slightly smaller wall signs and the 10 foot shorter sign height. NOT!

With all due respect to the Sign Committee, you have got to be kidding me! There are actually people who think they are benefiting this community by hiring a $50,000.00/yr. staffer to go around and bully legitimate businesses into spending their hard earned money to "improve" signage??? Can you understand what I mean by aesthetic judgments? Can you possibly provide me with one objective criterion by which I can independently determine that the 'after' picture is more visually appealing than the 'before?' Even if you do prefer the 'after' picture, you cannot in good conscience tell me that the comparison is so clear cut that it is anything, anything but a matter of personal taste and preference. And we are going to base laws on personal taste and preference? Whose?

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