City Takes Up Sign Ordinance

You see them everywhere in Sioux Falls, but many of them are illegal. We're talking about yard signs. City ordinance says they can't be in the boulevard. But two local organizations want to change that.

"Every time we're out there and see these illegal signs, we take them and put them in the back of the truck and throw them in the garbage," city planning and zoning official Jeff Schmitt said.

But two organizations would like the city to make an exception for their signs.

"We would like to propose an amendment to the zoning ordinance to allow for signs in the boulevard," Realtors Association of the Sioux Empire President Cathie Ogdie said.

The Realtors Association of the Sioux Empire and the Homebuilder’s Association want better visibility.

"It's a little easier to see those directional signs from that boulevard area rather than up in the homeowner's property," Ogdie said.

"For the homebuilders association and the realtors association, both, this is our livelihood, selling homes is our livelihood so this does directly affect our ability to sell homes and get homeowners into that right house," homebuilder's association executive vice-president Julie Terrell said.

But the city says there are no exceptions. If rummage sale and political signs aren't allowed in the boulevard, neither are for sale signs.

"We said you can't do that, that's a first amendment right, you can't restrict by content," Schmitt said. "It's either allowed in the public right of way or it's not allowed in the public right of way."

The city will hear the first reading of the proposed change at its February 19 meeting.