LOS ALAMITOS : Neon Sign Ordinance Gets Tentative Approval

Neon signs, a feature of big-city life that residents in this bedroom community have long resisted, will now be allowed under an ordinance the City Council has tentatively approved.

But in voting 4 to 0 for the ordinance Monday, council members said the city will be selective in approving requests for neon signs in an effort to maintain the small-town feel of this community of about 12,000 residents. Councilman Ronald Bates was absent at the vote.

“We’ll have to keep it reasonable so we don’t approach the Las Vegas example,” said Councilman Robert P. Wahlstrom.

The ordinance, which the council will consider for final approval on May 8, provides guidelines for the types of signs that would be permitted and prohibited.

It outlines the permit and enforcement processes and sets standards for height, location, color and the materials used for signs in an attempt to improve street appearance while maintaining traffic and pedestrian safety.

“Sign regulation requires a careful balance between community planning goals . . . and the needs of the business community,” said Community Planning Director Elizabeth Binsack.

The ordinance was drafted with help from the Los Alamitos Area Chamber of Commerce, and other business people were given an opportunity to comment in two Planning Commission hearings this month, Binsack said.

No one spoke during the public hearing held before Monday’s council vote.

Under the ordinance, business owners may put up banners advertising a store opening or sale for as long as 135 days, instead of 90 days, although old and tattered streamers have to be replaced immediately.

Roof signs and those on parked vehicles directing people to a nearby business are prohibited.

Neon signs may be approved if they blend with the building’s design and architecture, but neon signs in windows may carry only such messages as “open, closed, drive-through (and) hours of service.”