ARLINGTON, Va. -- The Arlington County Board today adopted a Zoning Ordinance amendment that will allow businesses to use temporary sidewalk signs, sometimes called sandwich boards or A-frame signs, to promote their businesses.  The amendment also will allow signs on umbrellas within outdoor cafes.

 

“These much-needed changes to the County’s Zoning Ordinance will help both small businesses and their customers,” said County Board Chairman Christopher Zimmerman. “Sidewalk signs, properly placed, not only provide information – they enliven streets and make it more fun to walk around our downtowns.”

 

Sidewalk signs help businesses, including restaurants and retail establishments, advertise daily specials and attract customers.  They make a business more visible to people walking by, and create vibrancy within commercial and retail areas. Signs on umbrellas also help make a street come alive. They help restaurants establish their identity and add to a neighborhood sense of place.   

 

The amendment, which  applies to businesses within commercial, mixed-use, industrial and public zoning districts, includes standards to regulate placement of the sidewalk signs to ensure a clear walkway. A sidewalk sign will be allowed on the sidewalk in front of a business if the business has a direct entrance to a sidewalk that has an existing clear walkway with a minimum width of six feet.

 

The signs can be placed within the landscape and utility zone, the area of the sidewalk that typically includes street trees and landscaping, benches, and other street furniture, or alternatively, in the area immediately adjacent to the building, as long as the unobstructed clear pedestrian walkway is maintained. 

 

The sidewalk and umbrella sign regulations were developed after an extensive outreach process that included public forums and individual focus groups discussions with various stakeholders, including businesses, residents and development community participants.

 

The amendment is part of a broader effort to comprehensively revise the sign regulations in the Arlington County Zoning Ordinance. The County’s goal is to make the ordinance easier to use and understand, and to incorporate best-practices and Arlington-specific practices.

 

The comprehensive review is underway and will be considered by the County Board in the summer of 2012.

 

The comprehensive review is also part of the County’s Small Business Initiative -- spearheaded by Chairman Zimmerman -- aimed at making it as easy as possible for small business owners to get their business up and running and keep it running successfully. Under the Small Business Initiative, the County also launched the online Business Center, a one-stop-shop where businesses can find the information they need.

 

The Board vote on the amendment was unanimous. To learn more, visit the County website to read the staff report or watch video of the meeting. Scroll down to Item #29 on the Agenda for the Dec. 10, 2011 Regular  Meeting.