Planners Back a Smaller Auto Sign

The Oxnard Planning Commission has recommended the City Council approve an automobile dealership sign along the Ventura Freeway, but at a lower height than had been requested.

The commission considered a proposal from the Oxnard Auto Center Assn. for an 87-foot sign with a signage area of 900 square feet. But during its meeting Thursday, the commission recommended the council approve a 65-foot sign with a signage area of 672 square feet, senior associate planner Gary Sugano said.

“The existing sign is 45 feet tall, or about four stories tall,” Planning Commissioner Morey Navarro said. “The dealership is asking for 87 feet, or about nine stories high. As planning commissioners, we had to take into consideration the neighborhood and its impact on them.”

Navarro said he is not opposed to advertising or keeping businesses competitive, but that he is trying to strike a balance between the needs of residents and those of the business owner.

“The proposal of 87 feet was quite high,” Navarro said. “That’s huge. We looked at dealerships in Ventura and Thousands Oaks for comparisons and they were much lower. I was concerned about how this project would affect the residential area, particularly the lights from the sign. The concerns of the neighborhood were of most concern to me.”

Lawrence Lee, who represents the auto center, said the association had submitted a counterproposal Thursday to the Planning Commission calling for a 74-foot sign with a signage area of 825 square feet.

The council will take up the issue during its meeting Oct. 4.