Presenting The Industry Perspective By: Ken Peskin

2 Who are We? Greater DFW Sign Association represents 30+ local, regional, and national companies operating in the north Texas area In addition to companies serving the local market needs, DFW sign industry features several large “export businesses”, building products for other cities and states Sign manufacturing in Texas is a $746 million industry, with a payroll in excess of $190 million (Probe Economics/ISA 2008)

3 This Isn’t a Sign Issue; It Needs to Be a BUSINESS Issue “Signs” aren’t viewed favorably by city officials and politicians ◦At best, officials are ambivalent or consider them a “necessary evil” ◦Communities restrict all sorts of things that are unpopular or undesirable (multi-family housing, liquor stores, adult businesses) Though “signs” aren’t important, successful businesses are VERY important Adequate On-Premise Signs = Successful Businesses

4 On-Premise Signs are the Lowest Cost Form of Advertising Form of Advertising Cost per Thousand Exposures On-Premise Signage$0.30 Outdoor Advertising$1.65 Newspaper$3.47 Radio$5.70 Television$13.20

5 How To Make the Signs=Business Argument Small businesses are most dependent on on-premise signage advertising ◦Only form of advertising for many businesses 1997 UC-San Diego study measured benefits to business from on-premise signage ◦New façade signage increased sales 2.5%-7.1% ◦New pole sign increased sales 4.9%-12.3% (attributed by researchers to enhanced visibility) ◦Interior directional signs enhanced sales 4.0%-12.4%

6 Sign-Increased Sales Benefit Community Based on Pier 1 study in TN, inadequate signage cost: 30% of gross sales, 81% of profits, and … Total State Taxes $66,000 $46,200 Total County Taxes $5,616 $4,320 Total City Taxes $29,613 $20,910 Total Taxes Paid$101,229 $71,430 Inadequate signage can cost almost $30,000 in unrealized tax payments to government from just one retail store

7 Use Value of Signs To Educate Potential Allies Local Businessmen ◦Compete with national retailers w/o help of economies of scale or targeted media buying Chamber of Commerce ◦Vibrant business community attracts additional businesses; higher business tax collections lower personal taxes Bankers ◦Inadequate advertising lowers success rate of new businesses Commercial Realtors ◦Lack of signage limits opportunities for reuse Developers ◦Multi-tenant developments need adequate signage allowance for all tenants

8 Questions About All Sign Codes Can any business obtain a sign? Is the sign visible? (At night? With parked cars? Through landscaping?) With proper signage, can the business achieve its maximum economic potential? Does the sign (or system of signs) allow the business to communicate a message of temporary or short-term interest? Are illegal signs subject to citation and/or removal?

9 Allowable Sign Area Size minimums should be determined as factor of driving environment (speed limit, lanes of traffic) Minimum size required for visibility and timely response ◦Simple Env. (25 mph, 2 lanes) 50 ft 2 ◦Complex Env. (40 mph, town commercial area, multilane) 128 ft 2 ◦Multi-lane Env. (40 mph; urban commercial area, multilane) 200 ft 2

10 How does Sign Code Interact with Landscaping and Parking Regulations? Clear line of sight is basis for many standards Real-world situations often cause sign to be obscured If tree cover, shrubbery, cars, or street furniture block signs, accommodations need to be made Industry-distributed model codes discourage monument signs based on safety impacts of obscured signs

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