Alhambra : Sign Law to Be Enforced

Alhambra officials have warned downtown merchants that the city this month will begin enforcing regulations that prohibit signs on roofs and limit the size of other signs.

The City Council adopted the sign ordinance in 1982, but gave business owners three years to remove illegal signs. Carolyn Wilker-Roesch, junior planner, said the three-year grace period ended Dec. 22 and she will begin surveying the downtown area this month to compile a list of sign violations to be forwarded to the city attorney for prosecution. She said a survey in November showed 86 illegal signs, down from 143 two years ago.

Wilker-Roesch said the city is offering low-interest loans and rebates to help business owners remove signs. Alhambra’s regulations are designed to reduce clutter, she said, and to encourage merchants to direct their signs at pedestrians rather than passing motorists.