The following article originally appeared in the August 1987 issue of Signs of the Times magazine. By R. James Claus, Ph.D., Karen E. Claus, Ph.D. Donald W. Large, L.L.B. The history of sign-control legislation shows that certain approaches are successful and produce fair regulation, which benefits the entire community. Industry representatives who utilize positive strategies […]
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The Fallacies of Signs, Amortization and Traffic Accidents
Some Policy Considerations For Sign Legislation The following article originally appeared in the September 1973 issue of Signs of the Times magazine. By Dr. R. James Claus Opponents of commercial signage in general and of billboards have recently opined that limiting the “proliferation of signs” in our society is necessary because signs cause “information overload.” […]
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Senator Orrin Hatch Discusses Signs and Property Rights
Excerpts from Sen. Orrin Hatch’s keynote address at the National Sign Users’ Conference on Sign Regulation and Marketing The following article originally appeared in the August 1998 issue of Signs of the Times magazine. By Wade Swormstedt “I believe government regulation [of signs] has been burdensome, often times unconstitutional.” At the Intl. Sign Assn.’s (ISA) […]
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Supreme Court Ruling Strengthens Just Compensation
The following article originally appeared in the August 1987 issue of Signs of the Times magazine. The Fifth Amendment guarantees that private property shall not “be taken for public use, without just compensation.” Those words have caused much heated debate and litigation ever since they were written. In a 6-3 decision on June 9, 1987 the Supreme […]
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Bob Aran Reflects on 30-year Sign-Legislation Career
The following article originally appeared in the February 2004 issue of Signs of the Times magazine. Were you an attorney first, who became interested in sign codes, or did you have an interest in signs that ended up being sign-code based? I majored in interpersonal relationships (literary related) during my undergraduate work at Pepperdine University. […]
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What Does Amortization Mean for Signage?
Amortization concerns the compensation for a sign that is no longer in compliance when a sign code changes. The theory is, if a sign is allowed to exist for a certain period of time, its owner would recoup their investment during a period prescribed by the local jurisdiction before the sign must be removed. This […]
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Where Can I Find a Model Sign Code?
Various model sign codes and related guidance documents have been published, and many can be viewed in their entirety including the following: From The Sign Research Foundation http://www.signresearch.org/research-sign-codes/ From the USSC Foundation https://usscfoundation.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/USSC-Model-On-Premise-Sign-Code-2018.pdf From the Sign Research Foundation https://www.signresearch.org/wp-content/uploads/A-Framework-for-On-Premise-Sign-Regulation.pdf Wade SwormstedtWade is the former Executive Director of the Foundation for the Advancement of the Sign […]
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Can a Sign’s Location Make it Worth $1.8 Million?
In Cincinnati, OH, a building was ideally situated on Pete Rose Way, proximate to the confluence of I-71 and I-75. In 1997, the building housed Caddy’s, a 50s style entertainment complex. The Cincinnati Bengals NFL football team was about to build its $400 million Paul Brown Stadium, and the land and building were being taken by […]
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Street Graphics
The following article was written in 2005. In 1971, the American Planning Assn. (APA) began distributing a book by Daniel Mandelker and William Ewald entitled Street Graphics and the Law. That book recommended the uncompensated taking of signs and control of a sign’s design, message and aesthetics. While the sign industry was making great strides […]
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How Cuyahoga Falls Created a “Win-Win” Sign Code
This article, written by sign-code expert, John Gann, originally appeared in the November 2004 issue of Signs of the Times magazine. Easy-going, local sign regulations can certainly simplify life and stimulate business for sign companies and end users alike. Understandably, many in the sign industry favor them. But, permissive sign codes can eventually bite back. […]
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