Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: WEDNESDAY, April 25, 1990                   TAG: 9004250631
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B5   EDITION: EVENING 
SOURCE: MARK LAYMAN STAFF WRITER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Medium

SUPERVISORS MAKE CHANGES BEFORE PASSING NEW SIGN LAW

The county Planning Commission sent the ordinance to the supervisors last fall after months of work by a study committee that included representatives of the sign industry.

But the supervisors delayed action while the ordinance was changed to make it more acceptable to the sign industry.

Highlights of the new ordinance:

The amount of sign space a business can have has been reduced and depends on road frontage and zoning. The limits: 0.5 square feet of sign space per foot of road frontage in B-1 business zones, 1.5 square feet in B-2 zones and 2 square feet in B-3 zones.

Maximum sign space per business is limited to 500 square feet in business zones and 300 square feet in manufacturing zones.

Billboards are allowed only in B-2, B-3 and manufacturing zones - but not within 500 feet of another billboard or within 200 feet of residential zones, parks, schools, libraries or churches.

The supervisors passed an ordinance last year prohibiting new billboards. On Tuesday, they asked County Attorney Paul Mahoney to draw up an ordinance rescinding the billboard ban.

A business can put up a temporary sign four times per year for a maximum of 120 days.

The supervisors dropped a restriction that would have allowed a temporary sign to be displayed for no more than 30 consecutive days.

They also dropped a requirement that billboards on land zoned A-1, agricultural, and R-E, residential estates, be removed after Jan. 1, 2000.

And they eased the limits on the number of signs allowed on a lot.

Also on Tuesday, the supervisors:

Approved a "use not provided for" permit to allow the Easter Seal Society of Virginia to put on weekly beach music concerts at the Valleypointe business park. The concerts will be held on Thursday nights from mid-May to mid-September.

Approved a request by the Roanoke Area Soap Box Derby Inc. to construct a race track at Walrond Park.

Held a public hearing on the proposed 1990-1991 budget, during which they heard requests for additional funding for schools and for social service and cultural agencies.

Debra Holdren of East County Citizens for Education told the supervisors a planned 2-cent reduction in the real estate tax rate next year is "a slap in the face to those of us who care about education."

And Susan Williams, executive director of the League of Older Americans, told the supervisors, "The way you can show you care is with your checkbook." The proposed budget includes $6,750 for the League of Older Americans. The agency requested $18,113 from the county to support Meals on Wheels and other programs for the elderly.

The supervisors are scheduled to approve the budget on May 8.