Princeton council says no to ban on electronic messaging signs on Main Street

There will not be a ban on electronic messaging signs on Princeton’s Main Street.

The Princeton City Council voted 4-1 Monday to send back the item to the Plan Commission and Zoning Board of Appeals for reconsideration. Councilman Jerry Neumann gave the dissenting vote.

The four council members who voted against the ban said in their own way they would like to see a compromise reached somewhere between a ban and allowing electronic messaging without any guidelines. The council members mentioned having a time for when signs would need to be shut off, a limit to the sign’s brightness and the height of the sign, among other variables.

Council members Hector Gomez, Michael McCall and Martin Makransky, along with Mayor Ray Mabry expressed concern at potentially hurting businesses who use the electronic messaging signs for advertisements and announcements.

Mabry said he spoke with a bank that spent $35,000 on its electronic messaging sign, because the business believed it was a marketing tool. The bank representative told Mabry they were concerned if a ban were to be put in place, and the sign needed to be fixed, it would lose its grandfathered status.

What started as an application for Bean Buzz, 130 N. Main St., to add an electronic messaging sign at its business, resulted in the Plan Commission suggesting the ban on electronic messaging signs on Main Street. The City Council tabled voting on the recommendation at its June 17 meeting, in order to gather more information from businesses. The 2016 comprehensive plan and the 2020 Main Street Revitalization Plan said electronic messaging signs detract from the historic nature of Main Street. The Plan Commission believed instead of wasting time and money on applications for electronic messaging signs in the future, it should ban them altogether. Existing signs would be grandfathered in and be allowed to remain, until a replacement is sought, then a new sign would not be allowed to be erected. In Bean Buzz’s case, it needed a special use permit to put up an electronic messaging sign because of its light commercial zoning.

Neumann said his dissenting vote Monday was in favor of Main Street keeping its historic integrity and to give residents relief from the bright, flashing signs.

Mabry thanked the Plan Commission for its work so far on the issue and encouraged them to continue with the discussion.