HomeMy Public PortalAboutTOL PR 2010-02-19 sign ordinance reviewTown of Leesburg
News Release
For Immediate Release
Contact:
Wade Burkholder, Deputy Zoning Administrator
703‐771‐2758
wburkholder@leesburgva.gov
Leesburg Sign Ordinance Review Underway
Review To Be Completed In June 2010
Leesburg, VA (February 19, 2010) – The Town of Leesburg Planning & Zoning Department has
begun a comprehensive review of the Town’s sign ordinance (Article 15 of the Zoning
Ordinance). The review is expected to be completed in June 2010.
“With both the growth of the Town and recent changes in the sign industry, the current
ordinance no longer meets the needs of the community,” explained Wade Burkholder, the
Town’s Deputy Zoning Administrator. “Therefore, we are completely reviewing the ordinance,
with particular attention to the perspectives of Town residents and the business community.”
The top ten focus areas for the review of the sign ordinance are:
• Off street signs
• Comprehensive sign plans for multi‐tenant buildings & shopping centers
• Neon, LED and video‐streaming signs
• Temporary signs (size and duration)
• Window signs
• Signs inside buildings but visible to the street
• Political signs
• Non‐compliant signs (“grandfathered” signs)
• Board of Architectural review of signs in the Historic District and the H‐2 Corridor
• Inconsistencies within the ordinance in general
A community stakeholder team has been created to assist staff with the project. The eleven‐
member stakeholder team is made up of residents, business owners/operators, and community
business organization representatives. The team will make recommendations to the Planning
Commission and Town Council for changes to the sign ordinance. The ultimate goal of the
review project is the adoption of a new sign ordinance that Town officials, residents and
business owners will find usable, easy to understand and fair. The new ordinance will also
TOL PR 2010‐02‐19 Sign Ordinance Review
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provide an aesthetic benefit in regards to the appearance of commercial signage throughout
the Town.
Throughout the review process, Town staff will provide regular updates on the project on the
“Sign Review” page of the Town website at www.leesburgva.gov/SignReview. Members of the
public will be able to view the proposed changes to the ordinance as they become available, as
well as review the project charter, scope, schedule and background information. In addition,
citizens can complete an online survey about commercial signage in the Town. The survey is
located at www.leesburgva.gov/SignSurvey.
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