One electronic sign limited, another shut down due to city codes
By Michelle Stuckey
For The Herald

Jim Douglas Chevrolet had been using a computer projector (secured in a white, metal case, pictured at right) to place a different image on a sign every night. (One of the night-time images is pictured above.) But the city forced the projector to be turned off, saying it violates city codes.

HIGH SPRINGS -- When First Baptist Church of High Springs bought its new, hi-tech sign, the church's leaders were looking forward to using the many capabilities the electronic sign would offer.

Just down the road, at Jim Douglas Chevrolet, the owners there were happy with their new nighttime sign, where a computer projector placed a new advertising image on the sign every night.

But both the church and the car dealership have run into a roadblock -- the codes of the city of High Springs.

In High Springs, signs are prohibited from appearing to move, revolve or be animated in any way, according to Penny Banks, the city’s Codes Enforcement officer.

At the church, its sign had a scrolling message to display information.

The sign violated city codes and the city suggested to the church that the message not move, Pastor James Harrison said.

“It’s a matter of interpretation of the word 'animation,'” Harrison said. “But, we’re trying to be good citizens and cooperate with the city.”

Harrison said that the sign has many capabilities that are unusable under the city’s existing codes.

“It’s like a Cadillac sign, but the city wants it to perform like a Volkswagen,” he said.

A new sign at Jim Douglas Chevrolet also tested the city’s codes.

The sign used a projector to put an image onto a blank billboard during the night.

But the projector had to be turned off because projection light is specifically restricted in city codes, City Manager Jim Drumm said.

The sign also was harder to regulate because it only showed up at night, he added.

The codes are not unlike the codes of other cities all over the country in their restrictions, according to Drumm.

“It’s not something just High Springs does — many cities do it,” he said. “It distracts drivers.”

But the codes may be changing soon, Drumm said.

“We do agree (the codes) need to be updated,” he said. “The regulations have been on the books for many years.”

Right now, the city’s planning advisor is looking to revise all of the city codes, he said.

In the next three months, there should be meetings to go over the codes.

“This has caused a lot of friction in town,” Pastor Harrison added. “Modern technology is moving in this direction, and it would be a bad representation of the town to restrict businesses from using this technology.”