Citizen Protest Led to Temporary Sign Proposal

The phone started ringing at Village Hall in April when Rosebud Italian Country House and Pizzeria erected a temporary 4 by 8 foot sign in front of its restaurant in August and Deerfield reacted.

Members of the Village Board of Trustees started getting calls and expressing displeasure at the first meeting after the sign was erected. Village Center Development Commission Chairman Alan Garfield heard from citizens as well.

Earlier: Village Takes Steps to Control Temporary Signs

By June the Commission had the issue on its agenda and learned the Rosebud sign was within the Deerfield zoning ordinance. After studies and work by Village staff the Commission was ready to make its recommendation to the Board by November.

Should the suggestion ultimately become law, signs will be limited to two faces of no more than 20-square feet each with no length or dimension greater than five linear feet, according to Associate Planner Kathy LeVeque.

These signs may stand no more than 30 days and a business will be limited to no more than four per year on the same lot. LeVeque hopes the Plan Commission will be able to consider the proposal by the end of March.

The Commissioners wanted to know more about the regulations and what they could do about it. Garfield had the issue placed on the June Agenda.

In the past, temporary signs were usually sandwich signs used for things like sidewalk sale, church events, sales by scouting organizations and community events, according to Village Code Enforcement Director Clint Case.

Case told the Commission none were considered offensive until Rosebud. Commissioner Ernst Kaufmann believes the recommendation will help define proper use and make it easier for Case to approve or disallow signage, according to meeting minutes.

The recommendation was unanimously approved by the Commission in November and the next step of Plan Commission consideration got a 6-0 stamp of approval from the Board Jan. 22. The Trustees will have the final say after Plan Commission review.

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