Republican Spearfish Writes More Sign Regulations

Spearfish is a city keenly concerned with appearances... to some extent, rightfully so. The Queen City's stunning panoramas are a good chunk of the reason people visit and settle here (and why houses cost so much). Several years ago, Guido Della Vecchia donated a big chunk of the west side of Lookout Mountain to the city so people looking east from the city would see the mostly unspoiled splendor of that signature mountain rather than a housing development as now dominates the south Sandstone side.

In the interest of keeping Spearfish looking good, the Republicans who run the city have expanded Spearfish's sign ordinance. The new ordinance does expand liberty: leaving Spearfish's sign ordinances as they were prohibited shopkeepers from putting out temporary signs. Now entrepreneurs can hawk their wares with sandwich boards and banners, as long as they remain "tasteful" and "creative":

Debra Fletcher, the owner of Hudson and Main in downtown Spearfish opened her store this year, and during the time she was allowed to set a decorative sandwich board outside business has improved.

“It’s like night and day when it comes to how many customers come through the door,” she said. “When I have the sign out, I get so many people coming by simply because they saw that I’m featuring ‘caramel apples’ or whatever else … I’m relieved the council went this direction” [Heather Murschel, "Sign Code Expands," Black Hills Pioneer, 2013.06.08].

The full revision includes some clinkers and tidbits:

1. Temporary signs may not be placed on any utility poles. That means no tacking your flyers for lost puppies or midnight raves on the phone pole.
2. "Election signs may be posted no earlier than 60 days prior to and removed 48 hours after an election." I understand the city's effort to save words here, but the grammatical effect of that sentence is to say that election signs may be removed 48 hours after an election. Does that mean we have to leave them up until two days after the vote? And does that mean I can leave my Rick Weiland sign up until Christmas, 2014, just to rub Noem voters' face in it?
3. A special events provision commits the same error: "Special event signs shall not be posted earlier than 24 hours prior to, and removed 2 hours after the close of a special event." Technically, that says you shall not take down your rummage sale sign 2 hours after closing. I guess you can do it an hour after, or three hours after, but at two hours after, your sign pullers had better take break.
4. Permanent flexible banners "must be legible and without any sagging, folds or wrinkles." There's a metaphor written into city code that should make retirees nervous. And I wonder if the illegibility ban means city planner Jayna Watson will come give you a ticket for bad graphic design.
5. Section C.2.c.III says temporary signs "must be removed at the close of business each day." This section includes election signs. So help me out: does that mean I have to pull my "Vote Labor! Vote Science! Vote Dem!" sign from my yard each night before the election? And if I'm a blogger, just when is my daily "close of business"?
6. No flashing in Spearfish! Flashing electronic signs are out.
7. So are signs with moving parts... which alas, means my little one and I won't be able to cheer when we see the wavy orange balloon guy flapping his arms out front of the car dealer by Walmart.
8. The new code grandfathers in existing signs that don't conform. But if the owner makes any major change to the sign, boom! the code kicks in. And every non-conforming sign has to be brought into compliance by September 17, 2024.

Whew! With all these rules, you'd think Democrats were running the show in Spearfish.