Signs of Merit: A Review Board Begins to Pick Which Signs Deserve to Stay

By Teresa Rochester

What do a barber shop, a bowling alley and a diner have in common?

No, they're not locations for a 1950s nostalgia flick. They're among 21 businesses whose signs city staff recommends saving under a 15-year-old ordinance that will force businesses to replace more than 1,100 signs by April 11.

Tonight, the Meritorious Sign Review Board - whose members were appointed by the City Council -- will begin accepting nominations from businesses and members of the public who want to see specific signs spared from extinction.

The review board was created at the behest of the Planning Commission, whose members felt the ordinance, approved by the City Council in 1984, will whitewash the eclectic mix of signs, some of which have become prominent staples in the city's landscape.

" I was just concerned we were going to lose some of the important historic landmarks in Santa Monica," said review board member Ken Breisch, who also chairs the Planning Commission. "There have been some (signs) that have existed in the city for a considerable number of years and have become part of the place. They're actually historic in their own right."

Signs designated as meritorious must be either historically or artistically significant. Signs also must have visual significance, an inventive representation or be officially designated a historic landmark or historic resource.

But on the eve of the board's first meeting, several of the business owners had no idea their signs were on the proposed list of meritorious signs.

"That's amazing. I didn't even know," said Maria Delgado, owner of Rae's Restaurant, when told the Pico Boulevard diner's 41-year-old sign is up for consideration.

Under the sign ordinance, which possibly has the longest grace period ever granted in the city, the Rae's Restaurant sign perched on the diner's roof is illegal. Free-standing signs, along with projecting signs or off-premise signs also fall under the ban.

According to a list compiled by the city, 1, 124 of Santa Monica's 8,126 signs violate the ordinance. Of the 1,124 signs, 152 were along Lincoln Boulevard and 118 along Pico Boulevard. Of the total, 84 were located in residential areas.

"The sign ordinance we have in place right now is kind of homogenizing the signs we have," Breisch said. "A good mix of old and new makes for a more interesting streetscape."

After listening to public comments, the Review Board will ask city staff to revise the draft list by adding business signs or requesting that more research be conducted. The board will meet again to hear additional comments from the public and business owners and discuss the final draft list before making a decision on a final list of meritorious signs.

The Review Board's final decision can be appealed to the City Council within 30 days.