Bristol Planning Commission To Re-examine I-81 Sign Ordinance

By David McGee
Staff Writer / Bristol Herald Courier
Published: July 22, 2008

BRISTOL, Va. – Once presumed dead, a plan to help travelers find some city businesses could resurface when the Planning Commission revisits the city sign ordinance later this year.

Last year, a commission subcommittee spent months studying ways to aid restaurants around Interstate 81’s Exit 7. The matter surfaced when the Cracker Barrel was unable to get its logo on the state “blue board” signs due to a lack of space.

The subcommittee’s solution was to ask the Virginia Department of Transportation to allow the city to erect signs featuring restaurant logos that would be visible to traffic on the exit ramps.

VDOT declined that request, but the topic could be resuscitated, Jay Detrick, city transportation planner, said during a commission meeting Monday.

“That may come up when the commission considers the sign ordinance later this year,” Detrick said. “That is off-premise advertising, which the city doesn’t currently allow.”

The exception is the Cracker Barrel, which has a sign along Old Airport Road and a directional sign leading to the restaurant.

“We wanted to put it [sign] right in front of the Exit 7 ramp so people would either turn left or right,” Planning Commission Chairman Jon Sanslow said.

While it wouldn’t have interfered with the existing state signs, the proposed sign would have been in the VDOT-controlled intersection.

Bristol’s request was based on a Wytheville, Va., sign program but failed because it didn’t conform to existing guidelines, VDOT spokeswoman Michelle Earl said.

“We told them that could not occur,” Earl said. “We have an established process to help businesses market on the interstate through [contractor] Virginia Logos.
Those are the only signs that can be on the interstate and the exit ramps.”

The proposed signs were considered a safety issue, Earl said, adding that VDOT has no role if the city wants to erect such signs along Old Airport Road or any other city-maintained roadway.

The Wytheville signs are near exit ramps, but not in state-controlled areas.

“We did meet with them to discuss some options,” Earl said. “There is the possibility – through Virginia Logos – of some expansion of their signs. But we could never get all of the businesses at Exit 7 on those signs.”

Businesses sign a lease to advertise on the state signs, and Detrick said the city would welcome the addition of more.

Exit ramps at Exit 7 currently have four separate “blue boards” listing attractions, gas stations, hotels and restaurants. All six spots on the restaurant boards are full, but others have some space.

Another subcommittee is currently reviewing the entire city sign ordinance, said Sharyl Carter, the director of community development and planning.

“The subcommittee meets in August, and we might have something for the Planning Commission at the end of that meeting,” Carter said. “We have looked at off-premise but there is nothing I feel that is ready to come to the Planning Commission. I’m not sure they would entertain the idea since the other idea died a horrible death.”

Sanslow said the previous subcommittee invested considerable time and energy into the plan and that he would discuss it if the need is still there.

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