The Campbell Reporter
Letters & Opinions
What's in a sign? Advertising , of course.
Signs in Campbell. They have become a big headache for merchants who want to go the extra mile and promote their businesses. Our city has complicated the rules even further depending on where a business may be located.
If the business is in historic downtown, the rules are very specific. Merchants are allowed two signs, either a wall or awning sign and a sign that projects out of the wall. If the business is on the corner one more wall sign is permitted.
But watch out for those umbrellas that have popped up on sidewalk tables. In the downtown district none of these can have a brand name or logo if an awning sign already exists. Sandwich boards are another no-no, unless it's a Realtor promoting an open house. And don't even think of putting out a sandwich board with balloons. "Messy and creating clutter" is what a merchant will be told by city officials.
There are also banners that are in violation if displayed more than 30 days. And then we have the anguish that ensued over readerboard signs. The Campbell Community Center has one and so does RV Cloud, but never again will readerboards see the light of day in the Orchard City. So what's a business to do?
The real question may be what makes the most sense in this maze of rules and regulations. We think simplification of this requirement would be good for merchants and the city.
Campbell should amend its policy on the prohibition of logos and brand names on umbrellas.
We support Campbell Chamber of Commerce executive director Betty Deal's position. The Chamber views name brands and logos on umbrellas as an opportunity for a merchant to catch the eye of a customer who may not notice the businesses otherwise. We agree. It is another marketing tool that could bring more business to a store and more revenue into our city.
We understand that the city wants to provide a clean and uniform look in historic downtown, but we do not think umbrellas with logos or brand names would impose on that plan. It could, however, give a struggling business the boost it might need to draw traffic into its store.
The restrictions on signs are confusing enough, and if the city is serious about these requirements, then there needs to be consistency in enforcement. Starbucks can open up its brand-name umbrella without repercussions but another business like Quinzos is told to remove the name from its umbrella.
Umbrellas add a bit a spice to the downtown and a logo or two will not add clutter to the downtown look. Let's give our merchants a break and help them instead of adding restrictions that do more harm than good.
