Georgetown, Del., Dec. 2, 2008: Sussex County has a new law on the books that truly is a sign of the times.

County Council, at its Tuesday, Dec. 2, 2008, meeting, approved a new ordinance for signs, one that moves all of the regulations into a single section of County Code and brings the rules in line with the technology used in today’s business signs.

Sussex County has had sign regulations in place since the early 1970s, but as they were amended over the years, the rules became scattered throughout County Code, said Lawrence Lank, director of Planning & Zoning. The new ordinance places all of the regulations within a dedicated section of code, and for the first time permits certain types of signs once prohibited – namely electronic signs that use modern light-emitting diode (LED) technology.

“The code, until now, only allowed electronic signs to display basic information – time and temperature. Today, many businesses are using signs that display more details and advanced graphics,” Mr. Lank said. “The County Council believed it was time to revisit the sign ordinance, to clean it up and to make it reflect the technology and trends in the industry today.”

Councilman Lynn J. Rogers praised County staff and the Council for revisiting the sign code. “It’s long overdue, and now the County is up to date with the times and the technology,” Mr. Rogers said.

While electronic LED signs now will be permitted, the revised ordinance does establish standards for placement, the manner in which information is displayed and how frequently a sign’s images can change.

To prevent distractions, particularly to passing motorists, electronic signs will not be allowed to flash. Instead, they must display images and graphics for a minimum of at least eight seconds before changing.

The new ordinance also allows for modest increases in the size of wall and on-premise signs. For instance, under the former regulations, wall signs mounted on the outside of businesses were limited to no more than 100 square feet in total area, and only one per location. The new allowance is 150 square feet.

County Administrator David B. Baker said the new ordinance recognizes the types of signs and technology used in today’s marketplace, while giving consideration to safety and aesthetics.

“We believe the new sign ordinance enables businesses to use the technology that is now more commonplace, and that will help them remain strong and competitive,” Mr. Baker said. “At the same time, the ordinance clears up what is allowed and not allowed for safety reasons. We believe the ordinance adopted today strikes the right balance.”

A copy of the adopted regulations can be found in the “Ordinances” section under the “Online Services” heading of the County website, at sussexcountyde.gov.

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