It is once again political season here in Benton and there is a new sign ordinance the Benton Police Department wants to remind everyone about.  The sign ordinance (No. 46 of 2009) became law on August 10th of this year after a year long process of updating it.  The public will be given a grace period of 7 calendar days from the publication of this article to ensure compliance with this ordinance.  Signs not in compliance will be collected by department personnel and be available at the Benton Police Department.

    Permits are required for certain signs and billboards, but there are numerous signs that don’t require one.  Real estate, political, and garage sale signs to name a few that don’t require a permit.  There are, however, a few guidelines you must follow to use these signs. 

    Political signs must be located no closer than 8 feet from the edge of the pavement.  If a large sign (32 sq. ft. or larger) is located on private property it must not pose a line of sight of issue for traffic and it must also be at a minimum of 8 feet or further from the paved surface.  Political signs must be removed 14 days after the primary/general election or election to which they pertain whichever is sooner. 

    Garage/yard sale signs shall not be larger than 9 square feet in size and it allows for one sign at the location of the sale for each street frontage on that property.  One pointer sign may be placed at an intersection, but they cannot be placed or affixed to a utility pole, street sign, stop sign, tree, or fence.  The signs must not be placed within 8 feet of the paved street surface. 

    Real estate signs for residential areas must not be more than 9 square feet in size and it allows for one sign per street frontage or parcel.  The signs must be removed within 15 days after the close of escrow or the rental has been accomplished.  Real estate signs must also not be placed within 8 feet of the paved street surface. 

    At intersections there will a clear view zone for all signs in a triangulated area at the point of intersection to allow an unobstructed view of oncoming traffic.  The clear view zone is an area established by marking a point at which the two property lines intersect, measuring 30 feet along each property line and drawing a line across the two back points to form a triangulated area.  No signs taller than 2 feet in height may be installed in this area.

    Portable arrow signs shall not be allowed in the city.  Those currently in use may remain in use for a period of 5 years from August 10th, 2009.  To keep using them they must be maintained at all times to include, replacing the background glass, broken lettering, and painted or broken legs.  They cannot be placed in the highway or street right-of-way. 

    There are numerous aspects of the ordinance not mentioned here, but we just wanted to mention a few of them.  If you have any questions, you are encouraged to obtain a copy of the ordinance from the city clerk at the Benton Municipal Complex located at 114 S. East Street.