BURBANK : City May Drop Ban on Promotion Signs

A proposal to drop a ban of banners, flags and bunting for business promotions may be considered by Burbank planning officials next month.

The pro-business changes, supported by merchants groups, are needed, Planning Board Chairman Ed Hill said Wednesday.

“When a new business moves into town and wants to put up a grand opening banner and is told ‘no,’ their initial reaction to the city is not going to be a positive one,” City Planner Rick Pruetz said.

“We’re trying to create something to allow us some flexibility to police signs in the city,” Hill said.

Under the proposal, temporary signs and banners, which are now banned, would be allowed for two weeks every six months. Each business would also be allowed flags, holiday displays and bunting. But signs left after a business moves out must be removed within 30 days.

Ordinances on signs in the city, which are spread out over three chapters of the city code, would be compiled into one coherent collection, Hill said.

Most of the proposed changes are the result of a February, 1992, “economic summit” sponsored by the Burbank Chamber of Commerce to find solutions to business problems.

The proposal does not represent a comprehensive overhaul, such as omitting the maximum size of signs per business, Pruetz said.

A complete review is something that the chamber does not want the city to pursue hastily, said Zoe Taylor, chamber executive director.

“If we made major changes in the sign code right now, that might create additional hardships on business,” Taylor said.