THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT 
              Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: Friday, July 29, 1994                  TAG: 9407280194
SECTION: PORTSMOUTH CURRENTS      PAGE: 03   EDITION: FINAL 
SOURCE: BY IDA KAY JORDAN, STAFF WRITER 
                                             LENGTH: Medium:   51 lines

RULES ON SIGNS TO BE REVIEWED BUSINESS OPERATORS TO BE CONSULTED ABOUT EASING RESTRICTIONS.

Business operators will get another chance to review regulations for signs in Portsmouth.

After a joint discussion between City Council and the Planning Commission on Tuesday, Councilman Ward Robinett asked Planning Director Will Jones to consult business people about proposed changes.

``I recommend that you go back to the merchants and get input from them to make sure we achieve two things: enhancement of the city and enhancement of retail business,'' Robinett said.

Sign ordinance revisions would ease restrictions on businesses, permitting larger signs, longer use of temporary signs and permitting flags and pennants.

Jones also said that alternatives could include allowing T-frame and A-frame signs throughout the city. The present ordinance permits the street frames only in Olde Towne.

Other alternatives, he said, could be eliminating any restrictions on window signs to allow a business to cover an entire window. Currently, the city allows only 20 percent of a window area to be used for a sign.

``If we repeal the law and make them all legal, we would be back to square one,'' Mayor Gloria Webb said.

Councilman Cameron Pitts was outspoken on behalf of small businesses, claiming that they are the victims of the ordinance. A business he formerly owned lost 30 percent of its customers when the city forced him to reduce the size of a sign on his window, he said.

``The Exxon stations, the Burger Kings, McDonalds, Farm Fresh, they're all out of compliance with the ordinance,'' Pitts said. He added that they ``know they need the signs.''

``Are we saying that we know more than these successful businesses?'' Pitts asked.

``I think we sometimes try to enforce the laws too vigorously,'' Planning Commissioner Raymond Turner said. ``As long as they are not outlandish, maybe we should let them be. I think we need to ride around town and look at our image and decide where we want to be.''

Councilman Johnny Clemons questioned how far the city should go with sign restrictions.

``If you have a beautiful facade and an empty building, you don't have much,'' he said. by CNB