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Event sign ban on hold as city considers single-sign option

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by Laura Freeman

Reporter

Hudson -- A sign to promote events on city property will be "a hotbed of controversy," according to resident Ted Olsen, who proposed the sign to Council Aug. 24.

Council's plan to ban all signs from the Green is on hold after a group of citizens, representing more than a dozen organizations, pleaded for an alternative plan of one large sign on the northwest corner of state routes 91 and 303.

Council President David Basil advised the groups to work with the city's architectural and historic board of review to create an appropriate sign.

The legislation to ban signs won't go forward, said City Manager Anthony Bales. The city would wait until after the sign is reviewed by the architectural and historic board to determine if Council would need to introduce any new legislation.

Council members in July introduced legislation to ban all signs advertising public events from public greens and other city-owned public property, but have not voted on it. City staff proposed a single sign on the northeast Green, but few Council members supported it at that time. Council members Doug Hasbrouck, John Jeffers and George Roth recommended banning signs from the Green in May. Council also considered a sign limit, or a single sign to announce multiple events, an option city officials said would be costly.

Organizations "panicked" when they heard Council wanted to bans signs on the Green, according to Olsen, a member of Destination Hudson Board.

"We're all conditioned to look at the corner of state Routes 91 and 303 to find out what is going on in Hudson," Olsen said at Council's Aug. 24 workshop. "Sometimes it doesn't look good but that's where we look."

The city hosts 70 events during the summer months, Olsen said, but no more than 10 events at a time.

Olsen said the groups have a preliminary plan and will present it to the architectural and historic board of review if Council supports the idea.

"If there is support for the concept, we feel it's worth pursuing," Olsen said.

The proposed sign would be in three sections, with each section holding four event signs. Olsen said the dimensions would be determined by the architectural and historical board but mentioned a height of seven feet.

Roth said the city would have to award a variance for a sign that big.

It would be at the northwest corner of the 91 and 303 intersection, where there is no landmark to compete with, Olsen said. The sign would have a historic look. A volunteer committee would help raise $10,000 to $20,000 to build the sign.

"It's not only important for all groups to be able to communicate effectively to not only people in Hudson but passers-by," said Regan Gettens of First & Main. "We think it can be tastefully done within the guidelines of Hudson."

The three-sided sign was preferred over a "hodgepodge" of signs, said Council member John Jeffers.

"We need to find a way to build something that fits in and will communicate effectively," Jeffers said.

Council member Hal DeSaussure said he appreciated the work of the organizations and understood their concern with aesthetics, but warned against seeking perfection.

"We want to show a little bit of character and depth," DeSaussure said. "Signs show we're doing something in our community. This may appear too sterile."

DeSaussure questioned whether one sign was the direction the city wanted to go.

Roth disagreed and said he suggested one sign in the past because the northeast corner of the intersection looks "trashy." He supported putting the sign on the northwest corner of the intersection.

If the city approves the sign, it should waive the $250 variance fee and $40 permit fee because the sign would eventually belong to the city, Roth said.

E-mail: lfreeman@recordpub.com

Phone: 330-688-0088 ext. 3150