Commissioners plan hearing on sign moratorium

Following more legal research by Board Attorney Donna Shumate, the Alleghany Board of Commissioners approved moving forward with a 60- day moratorium on all off-site advertising signs.

A public hearing on the matter will be held on Dec. 17 at 3:30 p.m., at which time the commissioners could choose to enact the moratorium. The moratorium is being planned to allow time for the Alleghany Planning Board to research a sign ordinance governing off-site advertising. Under the county's current procedures, new land use ordinances are sent first to the planning board and then returned to the commission for consideration.

According to County Manager Don Adams, the planning board may look at a draft ordinance as early as next week.

Earlier, there was some confusion as to whether the county should enact the moratorium under its zoning powers or police powers.

However, Shumate told the board that she had researched the matter and decided that the county should proceed under both.

While opinions vary on the requirements for a 90-day moratorium, all agreed that a 60-day moratorium may be enacted without doing a first- class mail-out to every person in the county or other extensive notification procedures.

Shumate told the board that it needed to place an advertisement in the newspaper and then hold a public hearing on the matter.

She said the planning board will consider options of a separate ordinance and one under the current property rights protection ordinance, which serves as the county's change-of-use land use plan. "The planning board can consider an option under the property rights protection ordinance or police powers," Shumate stated.

 

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