Signs, Signs, How Should Creve Coeur Regulate Signs?

In an effort to conform with a recent St. Louis County Circuit court ruling and what city staff says is a plan to reduce confusion in Creve Coeur's signage codes, a proposed re-write is on the table for a public hearing Monday night in front of the Creve Coeur Planning and Zoning Commission.

Read The Staff Report

The revision includes everything from reducing the size of election signage (from 24 to 12 square feet per candidate/issue), to allowing for the use of "sandwich board" signs. Other areas include limits to office building signage in buildings taller than three stories.

While the staff report indicates that under some situations, businesses would be able to have more signage than is currently allowed, there are cases that would put a one sign limit in place for commercial and retail.

In a letter to the city, Steven Hutkin, President of wrote, "the economic downturn continues to impact quality commercial property, even in a top-tier municipality like Creve Coeur. Without the ability to adequately advertise available space by way of well-designed, strategically placed and appropriate "for lease" signage, property owners will struggle further. We are confident the city does not want to unduly hinder the use of reasonable and essential marketing tools that help fill vacant spaces and bring businesses to the City."

A letter from the mirrored those concerns and suggested the changes could put Creve Coeur businesses at a "competitive disadvantage" with businesses in other St. Louis County municipalities not subject to the same regulation.

Monday's public hearing is part of the regularly scheduled meeting of the Creve Coeur Planning and Zoning Commission, starting at 7 p.m. Monday.

How would this rule change impact your business? Tell us in the comment section.