County votes to let businesses display signs for special events

Columbia County businesses now can take advantage of changes to a sign ordinance.

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The revisions approved Tuesday by the county commission allow new businesses to put out temporary signs for a week during grand openings and other special events. It also allows the use of temporary banners up to four times each year for 15 days each time. The banners can be as large as 32 square feet or 5 percent of a store's frontage.

"People are anxious to use this. It's something on a lot of people's minds," said Commissioner Trey Allen, who owns Learning Express Toys in Evans.

By the commission's request, the sign ordinance revisions end Jan. 31. At that time, commissioners said, they will evaluate the success of the revisions and consider making them permanent.

On Tuesday, the commission also approved revisions to ordinances governing the Evans Town Center Overlay District.

The updated ordinance broadens the use of usable building materials and architectural features allowed in the district, which includes much of the area surrounding the intersection of Washington and North Belair roads.

Allowable building materials now include stone, stone veneer and fiber cement board cladding.

The revision also relaxes aesthetic requirements for industrial areas inside the district, including allowing roll-up doors on the front of industrial buildings.

It also recommends a pre-development meeting between county staff and developers to discuss the projects and how they might fit into the Evans Town Center concept.