The 'big Z' makes sure public notices visible

by Jan K. Allen

SBJ Contributing Writer

The city has responded to citizen complaints that rezoning notices were often obscure and hard to see.

Concerned members of the public have often claimed they missed out on meetings that may have been of interest because they didn't see the public notice.

City Council's Plans and Policies Committee addressed the complaint by asking the Planning and Development Department to find more visible and recognizable signage.

The department came up with the big green Z on an orange background that may be seen around town when and where zoning changes are brewing. The new signs went into use just before the first of the year, according to Ralph Rognstad, assistant director of Planning and Development.

In the trial-and-error process, they first tried to use metal, but it was too heavy, Rognstad said. Metal signs would have also required heavier posts, which would raise the cost substantially, plus require more personnel. They settled on the combination of plastic and corrugated material that had been used on the previous notices, but made them larger, brighter and labeled them with the big Z.

Rognstad said the notices seem to be working well, although it is hard to tell whether they've actually attracted more people to the zoning hearings.

"There were a lot of people at the Wal-Mart hearing, but there would have been a lot of people at it anyway," he said.

Comments from local citizens have been positive since the new signs went up. People who have never paid much attention before say the signs are very noticeable, Rognstad said.

The green-and-orange signs are reusable, since the black lettering which gives the time, date and place of the public hearings can be changed. The announcements have to be changeable since the signs come down after two weeks' notice about a public hearing and go back up prior to the council meeting scheduled to rule on the zoning issue at hand.

Zoning changes are publicized in three ways, according to Rognstad. Letters go out to residents affected, including anyone who lives within 185 feet of the property in question. The zoning change must be published in the newspaper within 15 days of the hearing, according to state law.

Finally, by city ordinance, three signs must be conspicuously placed on the property up for rezoning. Rognstad said the planning department is trying to get this minimum requirement changed.

"You don't need three signs on a 50-foot frontage," he said.

Sometimes the signs are easy to place and sometimes not so easy. When the property is in a highly developed commercial area surrounded by pavement, or the rock table makes it difficult to drive a stake, then it's hard to find placement. The object is to get the notices in the best possible place for high visibility.

When the planning department first started the quest to change the signs, it looked at several possibilities. Samples obtained from several other communities and weighed all the issues. It was agreed the plastic signs of the same material as the old ones would suffice as long as they were recognizable and stood out.

The Planning and Development Department hires a college student part-time to put up and take down the signs before each hearing. They take about the same amount of time as the previous notices to install and maintain, Rognstad said.

Sometimes an extra trip to the site is involved when signs disappear. This doesn't happen as often as it did when they were using the metal signs, which were similar to those used by real estate companies.

"Those seemed to be pretty popular. A lot of them ended up at garage sales," Rognstad said.

As an added public convenience, the planning department has set up an automated hot line stating the location of cases pending, hearing dates, and the current and proposed zoning for the subject property. There is a place at the end of the message for callers to comment and leave phone numbers if they have additional questions.

One of the most-asked questions is what the property will be used for. If there is no specific proposal in process, this question can go unanswered. Planning and Development can only list the possibilities under the zoning category proposed.

People who wish to make use of the hot line can call 864-1331.

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