Elk Grove Sign Workshop Explores Loosening Ordinance

Developer Gil Moore is seeking to change Elk Grove sign zoning ordinances. In a workshop held last night, the City of Elk Grove sought p...

Developer Gil Moore is seeking to change Elk Grove sign zoning ordinances.
In a workshop held last night, the City of Elk Grove sought public input on whether or not the city should ease standards established in 2006 regulating billboards along Highway 99 and I-5.

The workshop came about as a result of developer Gil Moore’s request seeking to place a billboard for a project located on Sheldon Road and E. Stockton Blvd. that is not directly adjacent to the freeway. Existing regulations prohibit any non-adjacent development from having off-site billboards.

To accommodate Moore’s request, the city planning department held the workshop that had a live polling session as one of its main components. During the live polling the 40-plus participants were asked a series of question on their thoughts of changing sign regulations.

During the course of the polling, Jordan asked the audience why a particular answer was given. One participant noted he answered it that way because the questions being asked were subjective.

“It is all very pointed, it is all very subjective,” Elk Grove resident Steve Lee said. “It is pointed to the answer the city wants to find.”

Although city planner Christopher Jordan said the meeting was meant to gather information about possibly changing the ordinance and not about Moore’s specific application, eventually the discussion turned to that project.

In discussing his project, Moore noted that as a longtime Elk Grove resident he is seeking to build a quality project but that for it to succeed it needed the offsite sign for the benefit of one of the projects tenants, McDonald's.

After hearing Moore’s comments on his project, Elk Grove resident Sarah Johnson noted that changing the zoning for this project would be precedent setting. “The city attorney has determined this would apply citywide,” Johnson said.

Speaking after the meeting, McDonald’s representative Susan Green said the site of Moore’s project is considered low density and that the company would generally not consider locating without the off-site sign needed to generate sales. Green said that other McDonald’s locations in Elk Grove and on Calvine Road in Sacramento had higher nearby densities and therefore not as dependent on billboards.

When asked if McDonald’s would still locate a store there without a sign, Green said “anything is possible.”

Jordan said the planning department hopes to bring the matter back to the city council at their June 27 meeting.


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3 comments

Sarah Johnson said...

Mr. Moore is not a resident of Elk Grove, he lives near Elk Grove, but not in the City. He is the one that insisted on detailing the plans for his project. The rest of us had respected the staff and stayed away from discussing this specific project until Mr. Moore talked at length about his plans. I found his comments, especially about his cajones, insulting to our intelligence. He just does not seem to understand our concerns at all.

Ronald McDonald said...

Talk about fast-tracking! The so-called public outreach meeting on June 6th and to the City Council 21 days later! Somewhere in the middle of all this I assume the Planning Commission is going to give their two cents worth as well. Someone snaps their fingers with contribution money and promises of minimum wage jobs, and off to the races we go. City Hall is like one big fast food restaurant! Do you want fries with that?

Anonymous said...

Mr. Moore has stated that his project willbring 180 new jobs to Elk Grove. Big deal. They will all be blue collar service industry jobs. Where are the White collar bigger dollar jobs that we need.

Say NO! to changing hte sign ordinance. If it ain't broke don't try to fix it!

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