Evening star., 1929-12-20
HEARING IS CALLED
ONPROPOSED CODE
FOR B|LLBOARDS
Regulation of Other Signs
or Advertising Devices
to Be Taken Up.
DRAFT OF BILL PREPARED
BY D. C. COMMISSIONERS
Public Invited to Meeting at Dis
trict Building Board Room
January s.

A public hearing will be held in the
board room of the District Building at
10 o'clock January to consider a pro-
posed new code of regulations governing
the vexed question of billboards and
other signs or advertising devices of
allied character in the District OF Co
lumbia, The District Commissioners
have prepared the draft of bill to
be sent to Congress giving the city
heads power to draw up and enforce
regulations affecting the signs. Mean
time, a committee, under the chairman
ship of Roland M. Brennan, chief clerk
of the Engineer Department of the Dis
trict government. has drawn up pro-
posed code of regulations to be enforced
BY the Commissioners should the en-
abling act be passed. This code will be
the subject of the hearing, to which the
public generally is invited.
The present regulations, except as
they relate to real estate signs, are
practically dead letter, according to
Brennan. One of the principal loop
holes relates to vacant stores. Through
q technicality, although no business
whatever is carried on at premises, its
walls and windows may be plaStered
with =. chromatic nightmare of signs
advertising everything under the sun,
and nothing may be done about it.
Under the new regulations the matter
would come under section 3 OF the
proposed code, which reads:
$50 sign of any character shall be
erected, hung, placed, painted, repaint-
ed, repaired or maintained upon any
structure or upon any wall or upon
the roof of any building, or upon any
premises, unless such sign advertises a
bona flde business conducted on the
premises, and for which business a
certificate of occupancy has been issued
by the inspector Of buildings"
Gradual Elimination Provided.
The gradual elimination of signs now
in districts Zoned for residential uses
is provided for in section 5, which limits
such signs to name plates not exceed
ing one foot in dimension. Replace
ment signs will be authorized in the
case of conforming use located in
residential districts only provided the
area of such signs do not exceed the
area of existing signs.
The regulations strike at the prob
lem of billboardS, which has given the
Districts beauty lovers so much con-
Germ, by a section reading: mo bill
board may be erected or repaired in
location, and any authorized billboard
which, by reason of its structural con-
dition shall be ordered removed by
the inspector Of buildings, shall not be
replaced"
No sign is to be allowed to be placed
In any public space in the District OF
Columbia except under specific permis-
sion from the District Commissioners
for each such sign. No lettering is
NH 10 oil PInNkc nYPnnf
the name of the manufacturer. Barber
poles will be permitted only upon ap-
plication to the inspector of buildings.
provided the pole, with pedestal, does
not exceed eight feet in height, and is
located away from the travelled portion
Of the sidewalk.
Public Safety Sought.
Many of the regulations are directed
toward the public safety. These call
for secure iron bracketing of signs eX-
tending beyond the building line, strong
bracing and limits to the size of roof
signs, and the taking down by the in
spector of buildings of any sign he
deems dangerous.
No permit, will be issued for illumi-
mated signs unless the design has been
approved by the electrical engineer OF
the District.
The proposed act Of Congress COM
pels each person or corporation engaged
In the business Of painting or placing
signs to register with the building in
spector and pay an annual registration
fee of 800. In addition, each must
keep on deposit with the collector Of
taxes the further sum of 500. In case
any sign is hung contrary to the regu-
lations, or remains in a building after
the building has ceased to be used
for the purpose which the sign ad-
Vertises, or becomes unsafe, the Com
missioners are required to serve notice
TO- its removal. If it is not removed,
then it shall be the duty of the build
ing inspector to remove it, the cost
being taken out Of the 500 deposit.