Status Quo in Monterey Park : Two City Boards Reject Bid for More English on Signs

Despite a campaign by Mayor Barry L. Hatch and Councilwoman Betty Couch to require more English on business signs, two city boards have unanimously decided that no stricter measures are needed.

The Planning Commission and the Design Review Board reached their conclusions independently after reviewing the sign ordinance in this community where Chinese-language signs have become a point of controversy.

“We’re not going to fix something that we don’t see as broken,” said Planning Commission Chairman Patricia A. Chin. “The sign ordinance regarding language is adequate.”

The two boards followed the recommendations of the Planning Department staff, which suggested that no changes be made in the existing ordinance. Members of both boards say they fear that any more public debate on the issue could be divisive.

There seems to be no consensus on the City Council, which has the final say.

Law Passed in 1985

After angry debates in 1985, the council approved the current sign ordinance, which requires signs to state in English the general nature of a business. The English wording must be readable from at least 100 feet away.

But in recent months, Couch and Hatch have proposed adopting a law similar to one in Arcadia requiring that two-thirds of a sign be in English. “To me it’s an important issue,” said Hatch, an active force in the local movement to make English the nation’s official language. Hatch said he will continue to press for changes.

In response to requests from the City Council, Planning Administrator M. Margo Wheeler had presented the sign issue to the Design Review Board last month and to the Planning Commission last week.

Both boards held public discussions on whether any changes should be made. Although some changes were made governing the requirements for materials used in signs, there was no substantial discussion or any modifications on the ordinance’s English-language provision.

At the meetings of the design board and the Planning Commission, no residents addressed the issue, according to city officials.

However, at the suggestion of Commissioner Joseph Rubin, the Planning Commission did agree to study the English-language issue as spelled out in the city’s architectural design guidelines.

These guidelines carry less legal force than the city’s sign ordinance. The Design Review Board, which handles applications for sign permits, uses the guidelines in making decisions about the permits.

The guidelines now say: “It is recommended that all new signs that are in a language other English, in some part be translated to English to maintain sign continuity.”

Design Review Board Chairman William A. Nuanes said his group follows an unwritten rule that 50% of a foreign-language sign should be translated into English. The board, he said, has followed this approach for several years with great success.

Rubin said he hopes the council will defer acting on the sign issue until the Planning Commission can talk about the guidelines at the commission’s January meeting. The council is scheduled to consider the sign ordinance in December, according to Planning Administrator Wheeler.

“I don’t want another war,” Rubin said, adding that he feels the Planning Commission review of the guidelines in January could help defuse potential problems.

But, according to Hatch, a January review of the guidelines would not compound the problem. The mayor said: “Every month new signs go up. It’s now time for the council to handle it.”

Councilwoman Couch said she still believes something must be done to further ensure that more English appears on signs and that better-looking signs are erected. But she said she still is trying to determine the implications of the actions by the design board and the Planning Commission.

Of the five council members, Couch and Hatch have been the most vocal advocates for change.

The two other Planning Commission members said they see no need to alter the sign ordinance or the guidelines.

Kenneth Fong, who was a member part of a special committee that came up with the original sign ordinance, said:

“I’d like to leave the ordinance the way it is right now and not dictate a percentage. I haven’t seen any problems since two years ago when we enacted the English language (requirement).”

And Commissioner Stephen Tan said he is worried that placing further restrictions on signs will make the city vulnerable to a lawsuit on the grounds of violation of the right of free speech.