The quality of life in your
community is determined by
various factors, not the least
of which is appearance.
Residents experience it every
day and it gives visitors their
first impression of your
community. The appearance of
your community is an important part of the
foundation for civic pride and
harmony.
A big factor in
the appearance of any community is
signage. A community with too
many signs is uninviting, and the clutter can actually be counterproductive
in helping people find their way. A community with reasonable sign controls
along with other aesthetic standards can become a magnet for quality
businesses with good paying jobs and a stable tax base.
To help with the your
signage plan, Citizens
for a Scenic Wisconsin
has produced two model sign
ordinances. These model
ordinances were prepared by
experienced professionals taking
into consideration several good
ordinances already in effect in
Wisconsin communities and in
other states.
Model Sign Ordinance (txt) (pdf)
is a comprehensive sign ordinance that can be used by counties, cities,
villages and towns to regulate all types of signs throughout their
community. It may be used in whole or in part and is easily modified to meet
the particular needs of your community.
Model Billboard Ordinance - Town (txt) (pdf) is a simple ordinance
that can be used by towns that don’t have their own zoning ordinance.
Citizens for a
Scenic Wisconsin
understands the need for
businesses, public places and
recreational sites to make their
location known to the public, to
shoppers, to travelers and to
tourists. Our purpose in
providing model ordinances is to
promote signage that is orderly
and appropriately sized, spaced,
illuminated and located for its
site. Good sign management
improves the ability of the
public to find businesses and
other locations by reducing sign
clutter and motivates them by
enhancing overall aesthetic
quality – creating a place where
people want to spend time (and
money).
As you start your signage
plan, you should seriously
consider a one-year moratorium
on the placement of new
off-premise signs to prevent a
rush by outdoor advertising
companies to construct
non-conforming signs before your
new ordinance is ready.
These models can be easily
modified to suit your special
needs by your local planning and
legal professionals.
Revised December 10, 2008