COUNCIL MAY LIMIT SIGNAGE.

Byline: David Greenberg  Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY - Tired of the city's landscape being dominated by advertisements, City Councilwoman Barbra Williamson said she wants to place heavier restrictions on the banners and political signs.

She said she will call for public hearings within a month on her plan to limit the size and number of days businesses can display advertising banners and ensure that political signs are removed within a week of elections.

``There are times when there is an overabundance of unregulated signs,'' Williamson said. ``It all comes down to the aesthetics of our community.

``After a while, these signs get weather-beaten. They look ugly and lose whatever message they were trying to portray to people driving by. (Businesses) need to look at a better way to communicate their message to the residents of the community.''

Her plan also calls for levying fines against those who violate the sign ordinance.

``Once people know it's going to hit them in the pocketbook, they'll be more apt to adhere to the law,'' she said.

Williamson said she also wants to abolish the permitting process because the city does not have enough staff to track expiration dates for temporary permits, which cost about $23 each.

Details of the proposed ordinance changes, including how long a business could display a banner outside, had yet to be worked out.

But business leaders predicted a backlash from some store owners, many of whom rely on banners for inexpensive advertising. About 85 percent of the city's 800 Chamber of Commerce members are small-business owners.

``Businesses do feel that signs are one of the ways to let the public know about them,'' said Debbi Schultz, who heads the Simi Valley Chamber of Commerce board. ``If you're tucked in the back of a shopping center, signage is a way to let people know you're in that corner or on the second floor of a building.''

She and other chamber officials called for a task force of business owners and consumers to study the issue before any amendments are passed.

Tom Ross, general manager of Jack's Shoes, said he had mixed emotions about the possibility of more restrictions.

``You should be able to put up a sign that says, 'Sale,' in your own storefront window,'' he said. ``But there definitely have to be restrictions on signs on the roof or side of your building. I've seen businesses in town with huge signs on their roofs for months at a time. People take advantage of it.''

Both sides agreed that an ordinance mandating the removal of political signs from public property within a week of a general election would benefit the city.

``They are an eyesore to begin with,'' Schultz said. ``People get tired of seeing them. As soon as they can, they should come down.''