St. Clair Shores Tweaks Sign Ordinance to Aid Retailers

Local business owners are hailing changes in St. Clair Shores' sign ordinance as a step toward a friendlier business climate.

The revised rules allow store owners more flexibility in placing signs where they will be more easily seen by motorists and pedestrians.

Additionally, the new ordinance in some cases permits additional signs and relaxes certain restrictions on sign square footage.

The revisions were hammered out by a committee headed by city council members David Rubello and Candice Rusie. Other committee members included owner Rick Swanquist, city resident Stan Simek and Chris Fitzsimmons, president of the Metro East Chamber of Commerce. 

Rubello said the committee’s aim was to make things easier for owners to advertise their wares and services to pedestrians and passing motorists. The committee sought input from store owners to find out what issues they had with the existing ordinance and to learn what changes would promote better visibility for city retailers.

“It’s kind of a project in motion … as things come up the city will continue to look at ways to assist business owners,” he said of the ordinance, which was changed in March. 

One change allows a sign of up to 16 square feet to be displayed on the back side of a store with rear parking and a rear entrance. Under the old rules the rear signage could be no larger than four-square feet.

New rules governing the use of flashing electronic message boards permit them to change text every 30 seconds, instead of being limited to once in five minutes. Finally, the rules regarding use of awnings in conjunction with added signage have been eased. 

“A striping pattern (on the awning) without the use of words, shall not constitute a sign … before, that used to count toward the total signage that they could use to advertise their business,” said Rubello.

Another amendment to the sign ordinance eases rules on the use of signs between the curb and the sidewalk. Under the old rules, “You couldn’t put signs up pretty much anywhere … it was crazy restrictive,” Rubello added.

Swanquist praised the city’s willingness to lend a hand to local businesses. 

“The city … worked with the sign ordinance committee to do what it could, and we appreciate anything that they did do to help some of the businesses get some relief. They’re going in the right direction. We just hope they can keep going in the same direction,” he commented.

While signage rules affecting stores on Little Mack, Greater Mack, Jefferson and the mile roads have been made less restrictive, Harper is a county road, which means enforcement of sign ordinance rules is supposed to be the county’s responsibility.

“Technically, those businesses on Harper still haven’t had any relief so far as the sign ordinance goes … they still are allowing people to put signs out all along Harper, but I have a feeling that at some point along the way there may be a time when they decide to enforce that,” said Swanquist, whose construction office parking lot is located on Harper.