Freedom of Speech
Did you know that on-premise signs are considered a form of free speech, and are protected under First Amendment rights?
City sign regulation codes are designed to keep sign allowances uniform, in that a car dealership isn’t allowed a larger sign than a clothing store just because of the type of merchandise they sell. Essentially, the codes are meant to keep the peace so that no one has the bigger stick than anyone else when it comes to on-premise advertising.
However, in instances where a sign code greatly limits a signs capability of clearly executing their purpose, a code is in danger of violating First Amendment rights.
They are also in danger of downgrading the economic development of the community through restrictive sign codes. Most small businesses must rely solely upon on-presmise signs to advertise their products and store location to potential customers.
If that sign is not able to adequately perform that duty due to restrictions placed upon its design and location, this is detrimental to the business and in turn the economy.
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