Sign code changes talks continues

SOUTH FORK— Throughout the last several weeks, South Fork officials have been working with the Planning and Zoning Commission to change sign code regulations for the town. In several meetings throughout the summer, members of the town board have opted to table the topic until further research could be done by the Planning and zoning board to find a reasonable solution to the ongoing issue and have since taken the entire topic off the table for consideration until a meeting with business owners can take place.
During the meeting that took place on Aug. 22 several residents showed up to speak to the board during the public comment period about the proposed sign code changes. Many of those residents were in fear of having to take down their existing signs due to the size and because the changes would make their current signs illegal. In an interview with Planning and Zoning board member Keith Helmstetler, he explained that some of the concerns voiced by residents during that meeting may end up being unfounded.
“We have some concerns that are not even valid when you take into consideration that a lot of the signs in town today are grandfathered into the sign code,” stated Helmstetler. He continued to explain that the changes were based on research done by the planning and zoning board, who took the time to look into similar communities that were the same size as South Fork to see what they were doing for their sign codes. “We looked at three or four other towns to see what they were doing. The changes were not a whim; we did a lot of research,” finished Helmstetler.
When the planning and zoning board presented the changes to the board, a majority of the changes focused on the Highway 160 and 149 corridors and pertained to new businesses and signs on businesses that had been vacant for over a year. “Take the Whistle Pig for example. The business has been closed for over a year, but they still have their signs up. To me, the requirement to have those signs removed makes sense,” continued Helmstetler.
During the same public comment period at the August meeting, board members opted to remove the considerations from the planning and zoning board in order to gain insight from the local business owners that would potentially be affected by the changes to see if a compromise could be made. “We want to have a meeting with the business owners to see what works, what we can do to have the least amount of impact on the businesses,” said Helmstetler.
A date for the meeting between board members, Planning and Zoning Commission and the general public has yet to be set. Hopes are to find a compromise for the changes within a decent time frame and in a way that everyone can be in agreement. “It was a a huge deal for us to see the board working with us and to find a solution,” said local business owner Joe McCarn when asked about the changes.
More information will be reported as it becomes available. The next planning and zoning meeting is set to take place on Sept. 20 at 6 p.m. in town hall. The public is encouraged to attend.