Businesses owners had a chance to offer their thoughts on signage in Prince William County this week.
The Prince William Chamber of Commerce hosted an Economic Development Committee meeting in Manassas on Monday.
The discussion, led by county Planning Director Rebecca Horner and Assistant Planning Director Stephen Donohoe, focused on a zoning text amendment the Board of County Supervisors (BOCS) “initiated” in 2016.
The Planning Office is working on the amendment, which would be made to the Sign Regulations section in the Zoning Ordinance.
Officials took suggestions from meeting attendees, such as reviewing the standards of different sign uses and looking into directional signs — also known as “popsicle signs.”
They also provided information about how businesses can get signs approved.
Business owners interested in a sign permitted by the Zoning Ordinance can request a permit with the Department of Development Services, according to Horner.
Those applying for a sign that isn’t permitted must go to the Planning Office for a special use modification, which will be reviewed by various county agencies and be accessed by local civic associations.
Civic associations will sometimes reach out to applicants to learn more information about the request.
“They start to engage with the … civic associations and then, eventually, the sign request gets scheduled for a Planning Commission meeting,” Horner said.
The Planning Commission will host a public hearing, during which civic associations and members of the public can provide feedback.
“The Planning Commission will make a recommendation; they might ask the applicant to make some modifications based on that public input gathered at the public hearing,” Horner said. “And then, once the applicant’s responded to that — after the Planning Commission meeting — we’ll schedule it before the [B]oard [of County Supervisors].”
