Council Recap: Imagine the Sky Full of Signs

On August 12, 2024, the Richardson City Council unanimously approved a variance from the existing sign control ordinance that limits sign heights to 20 feet. Clay Cooley VW wants its pole sign to be raised to 39' 7". In July, in a meeting that lasted only 5 minutes from gavel to gavel, a recommendation to approve the request was passed unanimously by the Sign Control Board (an oxymoronic name).

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After a glorious show of dissension on an application by Clay Cooley VW to add a repair shop, a body shop, and a vehicle storage lot to its property, the City Council returned to its usual comity and consensus on an application by the same Clay Cooley VW for a huge sign. I'll refrain from commenting on the former deliberation (for now) as the application was continued until September, meaning no vote was taken. But a vote was taken on the sign. Unanimous approval was given for a pole sign to be raised to 39' 7", despite an existing sign ordinance limiting sign height to 20 feet.

I don't know what to attribute frequent unanimity — genuinely sympatico thinking, fear of being bullied if you do stand out, or what. But it's frustrating to see a governmental body "deliberate" an issue and not hear one's own opinion expressed by anybody, especially when one's own opinion is not crazy. It's an opinion that must have been the consensus in the past when the sign ordinance was adopted in the first place.

Kudos to Mayor Pro Tem Arefin, kind of. He didn't follow up his question. He quickly pivoted to another question, but at least he asked the question that should be standard at all of these meetings. It's a question that's hardly ever asked. He asked, "Basic question, why the limit was 20 feet?"

City Manager Don Magner explained the history. "So back in 2012 the sign ordinance, chapter 18, was completely reviewed by the sign control board at that time. We looked at comparable cities for all the different standards, and the sign control board at that time opted on the 20 foot, which was the most common prior to that."

In another meeting, one on limiting the number of chickens people can keep in Richardson, Mayor Bob Dubey said to City staff, approvingly, "Y'all stated that we're going to follow best practices..." In that case, Mayor Dubey meant adopting an ordinance with limits that are most common among surrounding cities. Now, when the subject is pole signs, the Mayor is quick to ignore so-called best practices. Instead, he said, "I think about the applicant and all of the renovations they've done to upgrade that site, and what they've done. They poured a lot of energy into that to make it more appealing in that area. So a new sign kind of goes with this is all I would say."

Two weeks ago, Mayor Dubey was the only one who seemed ready to approve this pole sign variance then and there, without further public hearing. The other six Councilmembers wanted to wait a week or two, in case opposition might somehow arise. Now, two weeks later, the other six have aligned their own thinking with the Mayor's. The Dubey Council, for whatever reasons, has fallen in line...again.

Councilmember Curtis Dorian explained his reason. "Let me just say that I am in full support of this, and let me tell you why. I did take the time to drive, not just once, but three times. Back and forth, both directions, and just to get a visual of any obstruction. And honestly, I didn't see that."

Of course he didn't. Look at that photo at the top of this post. It's a view of Clay Cooley VW from Central Expressway. There's no obstruction north, south, east or west. Raising the height of the sign is just the first move giving every other business a reason to ask for their own higher signs. At that point, the Clay Cooley VW sign would quit standing out by height.

Dorian misses my objection to the sign completely. I'm not won over by the fact that the new Clay Cooley VW sign won't obstruct other businesses' signs. What I care about is the sign itself. There's a reason that Richardson requires businesses to plant landscaping and puts a limit on sign size and height. Signs are visual pollution, by their very nature. Limits are intended to prevent what's evident in the stock photo below from ever becoming the norm here. Less is more.

By catering to Clay Cooley VW's wishes, the City Council of Richardson opens the skies to more unnecessary sign pollution in Richardson. The reason Richardson's skies are as unobstructed as they are is because a previous City Council had the wisdom to pass a sign ordinance limiting the heights of signs to 20 feet. A history and wisdom that the Dubey Council has now abandoned.

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"Tall signs pierce the sky,
City's wisdom once held firm,
Now heights rise unchecked."
—h/t ChatGPT