Board rejects new Solomons sign regs

Wednesday, June 10, 2009

The recommendations, made by the Solomons Architectural Review Committee, would have regulated storefront window signs, limiting them to no more than a quarter of the total window space and mandating that they not block customers' view of merchandise.

Restrictions on directional signs would have required the county to develop a uniform format for county signs in Solomons and banned businesses located north of Lore Road from erecting signs south of Lore Road.

Commissioner Jerry Clark (R), who represents Solomons and has opposed regulation of businesses, especially signs, in the past, criticized the attempt to make substantial changes to the draft Master Plan after the county had held several public meetings to discuss it.

"These recommendations have never been brought up in any of the forums that we've held in the process of going to a Town Center Master Plan," Clark said. "These have just been parachuted in. I don't think it would be proper to drop them in without proper debate on them."

Commissioner Linda Kelley (R) agreed the changes should have been introduced differently but also thought the issue needed to be addressed.

"I guess I feel strongly both ways about this," she said.

The motion failed 3-2, with Kelley and Commissioner Barbara Stinnett (D) in the minority. Had it passed, it would have proceeded to the final public hearing on the draft, scheduled for Tuesday, June 23.

emitrano@somdnews.com