Botetourt claims to be Open for business but signs are heavily regulated.

Hey, It’s Terrific Tuesday again. Today is not my favorite day of the year. My first hubby died in a car accident  at this time  in 1991. 22 years  later my heart still has a crack in it. So to make matters worse, let’s look for a sign…

I am contemplating signs as the great question of the Botetourt Universe. We have a strict sign ordinance in Boteourt County. Some of it seems trivial and the fines are hefty. Neon signs tend to bring  frowns from the crowned heads. The new kid plopped on the block is  digital signage. Hmmm. Good fodder to ruminate.

I took a field trip up Peters Creek Road since it was sneered at last night at the Planning Commission sign input meeting. I saw seven in one mile or so. Three would be what I would consider sedate and three  glaring. The tame three, CVS, a school and a church. Wild three, car wash, Putt Putt and a church. One defies category as it announces every store in North Market Square. Pretty loud it is though! To be honest I drive the road frequently and I had never noticed any of them except the one with a temperature and the time. I am sooo boring.

Business in Roanoke County is often more confined in clusters than here in Botetourt County. I think it is hard to compare apples to oranges. Botetourt County is 542 square miles. How many signs are there in most of that territory. I’d lay my bet on “posted” and “no hunting” signs for most frequent sign in the county.

I guess I had never noticed there wasn’t a sign column for Botetourt Commons. I can understand that identifying who occupies that space should be more apparent. That would help the smaller business there. I also think that if any one of a few businesses along Cloverdale Road would like a digital sign that might be advantageous. Connector roads are usually drive through without stops. Any help they get on such would help business. Signs in clusters could give a migraine headache though. Personally I wish Shoneys would fix their black out letters. Currently it spells “SH—Y” going south on US 11. Can’t think that would help attract people to eat supper.

Planner Steve Kidd noted that it might be that three non profits along Roanoke Road near Fincastle that might want a digital sign in less than a half mile. That could be busy in the dark night of rural Botetourt. How much readin’ can we do as we drive through at 59.9 mph? But then again, I just saw  six signs that have been up a while in Roanoke County and I had noticed none of them before. Even the ones that pop photos, flash like fireworks and bubble in multi colors, well sorry I missed it.

People. We are so hard to impress.

If you have a comment about signs. Post it here. I’ll forward on to Wade Burkholder, the county planner.

See ya next week!