City Hall
Sign Opponents Turn Out In Force for Council Hearing
Opponents of a proposal to allow lighted white company logos above a height of 65 feet on downtown buildings with large tenants turned out in force at a city council public hearing this afternoon, arguing that the proposed new rules will allow companies to litter Seattle's skyline with giant illuminated billboards.
Typical were comments by former Seattle Times columnist and downtown resident Mark Hinshaw, who argued that "companies do not make decisions about whether to locate in a town based on … whether they are allowed to erect large signs on their towers."
Proponents of the legislation, including representatives from Russell Investments (the first company that would benefit from the rule change) and the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, argued that the change is needed to attract big employers to the city. "Having a globally recognized headquarters like Russell Investments is something that we should all celebrate, not just because they're adding a number of high-paying jobs to our economy, but because a company like Russell Investments is a magnet for new companies in the financial services sector," said Steve Gerritson, the business development manager for Enterprise Seattle. "This is an opportunity for Seattle to set itself apart as the location for large-scale, world-class businesses."
Although the committee didn't vote today, they did discuss three amendments proposed by Russell. All of the amendments would benefit Russell and could disadvantage other companies that want signs of their own. The first, as I wrote earlier today , would allow one sign as large as 1,080 square feet on buildings taller than 500 feet and eliminate another provision allowing two signs as large as 628 square feet on buildings of that height. That would allow Russell to erect 1,000-square-foot sign on its building and would prohibit other companies from having two smaller signs. The second would limit the height of letters on signs to 10 feet (the proposed ordinance only limits the height of the signs, to 18 feet)---again, putting Russell at an advantage compared to companies with shorter names, which would be forced to have smaller signs than Russell's. And the third amendment would allow the signs to be lit with LED lights as well as neon lights.
Council staffers also noted that lighted signs are already allowed below 65 feet, and are limited in size only by the amount of frontage a business has on the street; that the new rules would only apply in downtown Seattle, and not around Pike Place Market, in the International District, or in Pioneer Square; and that many other cities, including San Francisco, Chicago, New York, London, and Berlin, allow similar signs on their tall buildings.
Typical were comments by former Seattle Times columnist and downtown resident Mark Hinshaw, who argued that "companies do not make decisions about whether to locate in a town based on … whether they are allowed to erect large signs on their towers."
Proponents of the legislation, including representatives from Russell Investments (the first company that would benefit from the rule change) and the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce, argued that the change is needed to attract big employers to the city. "Having a globally recognized headquarters like Russell Investments is something that we should all celebrate, not just because they're adding a number of high-paying jobs to our economy, but because a company like Russell Investments is a magnet for new companies in the financial services sector," said Steve Gerritson, the business development manager for Enterprise Seattle. "This is an opportunity for Seattle to set itself apart as the location for large-scale, world-class businesses."
Although the committee didn't vote today, they did discuss three amendments proposed by Russell. All of the amendments would benefit Russell and could disadvantage other companies that want signs of their own. The first, as I wrote earlier today , would allow one sign as large as 1,080 square feet on buildings taller than 500 feet and eliminate another provision allowing two signs as large as 628 square feet on buildings of that height. That would allow Russell to erect 1,000-square-foot sign on its building and would prohibit other companies from having two smaller signs. The second would limit the height of letters on signs to 10 feet (the proposed ordinance only limits the height of the signs, to 18 feet)---again, putting Russell at an advantage compared to companies with shorter names, which would be forced to have smaller signs than Russell's. And the third amendment would allow the signs to be lit with LED lights as well as neon lights.
Council staffers also noted that lighted signs are already allowed below 65 feet, and are limited in size only by the amount of frontage a business has on the street; that the new rules would only apply in downtown Seattle, and not around Pike Place Market, in the International District, or in Pioneer Square; and that many other cities, including San Francisco, Chicago, New York, London, and Berlin, allow similar signs on their tall buildings.
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