Evening star., 1931-05-26
SIGN RULES DRAFT
MEETS OBJECTION
FROM REALTY MEN
Proposed New Requirement
for Individual Permits
Draws Protest.
VIEWS WILL BE AIRED
IN HEARING TOMORROW
Unrestricted Rental and Sale Use
Of Small Placards Urged in
Lieu of Regulation.

Amendment of the new sign regula-
taon proposed for the District of Colum-
bia to relieve real estate operators OF
the proposed requirement for separate
permit every time For Rent or For
Sale" sign Is erected PROBABLY will be
sought at the public hearing tomorrow
morning at 10 O'Clock before the Dis
rict Commissioners.
The question involved is one OF many
IN connection with the draft oil the sign
regulations which, it is expected. the
hearing will clarity satisfactorily before
the Commissioners adopt new law;
other questions involve the control OF
hillboards, primarily from the polnt oL
repairing them, and Of signs pro)ecting
an on sites where buildings are under
construction.
Realty Men Object.
Real estate men have called to the
attention of the Sign Committee
clause in the newly drawn regulatlon
whereby permits would be required ior
real estate signs exceeding square
foot in size. such a requirement, they
contend. would entail inconvenience as
well as expense, which they believe
could be avoided, perhaps, by some
Amendment more in keeping with the
existing regulations.
AT present, 1t was pointed out no
special permit is required for real
estate sign advertising property LOT
sale OF for rent, provided 1t does not
exceed Q square feet. This permits the
convenient erection of signs feet by
Q feet or smaller.
Would Set New Sizes.
There is apparently no objection 10
other clauses IN the real estate secCon
otherwise limiting the size oil signs WIN
a view to protecting the orderly ap..
pearance Of residential and commercial
areas. The maximum size of all char
acter of signs under the proposed regu-
Iations would be 100 square rect, except
in the case of q building with 'front.'
age wall OF more than 1000 square
feet, in which case signs totallng In
area not more than one-fortletn OF the
frontage might be erected upon SPECIFIC
approval of the Engineer Commissioner
o. ,.le design and location.
For real estate signs, the maximum
would be 48 square feet Is located with
in a residential district. When located
in the outlying and unsubdivided sec
t.ous of the District, the maximum
would be 100 square feet.
Some of the members of the Sign
Committee were unacquainted with the
details of the real estate section and
when the proposed change in the ex-
isting law was called to their atten-
ton, realtors we're invited to present
their views at the public hearing.
Old Law Repeal Drafted.
Apparently there is no disposition
on the part of the committee to restrict
small rent and sale signs, provided they
otherwise meet requirements, but larger
real estate signs, they feel. should re-
Quire separate permits.
The regulations forbid signs Of any
kind on what Is commonly referred to
as public space except such as may
be specifically authorized. This provi-
sion, Of course, would apply to real es-
tate signs.
The proposed regulations would re-
peal the old sign law Of July !, 1902,
which exempted from its provisions real
estate signs and signs advertising busi-
ness conducted On the premises. A copy
of this law was omitted from the print
OF the new regulations recently dis
tributed. but copies will be available at
the hearings tomorrow. The reason
given for asking for its repeal was said
to be because the courts had held that
the ordinary commodity sign advertises
the business conducted on the premises,
and the Commissioners therefore had
ONSn uklhDiS W SAiO PlOAbASSNCNs
use Of these So-called tack and ham
mer" signs.
Suggests Single Sign.
With respect TO signs on sites where
construction projects are underway,
Horace w. Peaslee has brought TO the
attention Of the committee a suggestion
which appears 10 have had favorable
reception Mr.. PeaSlee suggested a neat.
- Gfxn-V CrfFgn Cf
advertisements placed on the site by
subcontractors On this single sign
could be printed clearly the names OF
the architect. the contractor and sub
contractors, listed in orderly fashion.
1T would work no hardship on the
firms employed on the Job Mr.. Peaslee
said AS a matter of fact, 1t would
insure their receiving adequate recog-
milton in a compact. dignified form"
As an example of such a sign as Mr.
Peaslee suggested, members Of the Sign
Committee have pointed to the large
sign advertising the construction work
on the site of the new Federal Depart
nent. Of Commerce Building BY in
cluding a directory OF all Arms engaged
in the construction work 1t has served
TO eliminate a dozen or more smaller
signs erected at random.
Citizens to Attend.
At the hearing tomorrow. which viii
be held In the board room of the Dis
trict Building. probably a score or more
of representatives OF interested organi-
zations will be heard. The proposed
regulations will be taken up section bS
section and explained. Then the Com
n1.ssionerS will invite views concerning
them.
Organized billboard interests doing
business in the Washington territory, Il
is understood will be represented by
counsel OF the Outdoor Advertising AS
ISOLATION.
Among others who will appear at tht
hearing will be representatives of tht
Washington Board of Trade. Chamber
Of Commerce. Sign Painters Union. Ma.
tional Capital Park and Planning Com
mission. American Civic Association. ths
Once Of Public Buildings and Public
Grounds and the Federation Of Citizens
Associations.