Supervisors consider relaxing sign restrictions

San Diego County Board of Supervisors agreed in principle Wednesday to ease restrictions on signs in unincorporated areas and let community members come up with designs to assist tourists and give residents a sense of place.

The board voted unanimously to have staffers recommend amendments to ordinances and policies that would allow more signs and banners along about 2,000 miles of county-maintained roadways. A report was expected to be delivered within 120 days.

Signs about places of community interest, historical significance or local events are limited along county rights-of-way, Supervisors Bill Horn and Dianne Jacob wrote in a letter to fellow supervisors.

“It’s going to help communities in the unincorporated area identify themselves through the use of the monument, gateway, community identification and directional signs in the public right-of-way,” said Jacob, whose district includes Ramona and the East County.

Horn said his North County district contains 30 distinct communities, and several businesses in them would benefit signage that drew attention to them, Horn said.

The cities of San Diego, Carlsbad and Chula Vista all have more liberal policies, compared to the county, according to the supervisors.

In San Diego, banners along the Broadway median promote events such as Comic-Con International and the Rock’n’Roll Marathon, while similar banners along Friars Road near Qualcomm Stadium draw attention to the Chargers and San Diego State athletics.

Signs would help tourists and out-of-town guests find services and points of interest and help provide a sense of place and character, Horn and Jacob wrote in the letter.