By Mark Wineka

mwineka@salisburypost.com

Catawba and Livingstone colleges have asked the city of Salisbury to consider changing its sign ordinance to allow signs with electronic messaging.

Salisbury Mayor Susan Kluttz appointed councilmen Bill Burgin and Mark Lewis to a committee Tuesday to investigate the requests, which actually have been made periodically over the past three years.

Rowan-Cabarrus Community College also is said to have an interest in electronic signs.

Phil Kirk, vice president for external relations at Catawba College, said he would like the city to act on the sign issue "without further delay."

"We believe a sign with electronic messaging would be much more attractive than our current sign in front of the Robertson College-Community Center," Kirk said in a letter to City Manager David Treme.

Kirk said the college seeks approval of an electronic messaging sign similar to the one in front of the Hefner VA Medical Center on Brenner Avenue.

"Of course, we understand that the City Council has no jurisdiction over signs on federal property," Kirk said. "While we would like approval for signage with video messages with moving letters and words, if this is a major barrier, we would accept video messaging without 'moving' words."

Kirk said he understood that objections have been raised in the past that too many electronic signs across the city would detract "from the historic heritage which we love and appreciate."

"I would argue," Kirk said, "that the kind of signage we are proposing is much more attractive and more pleasing to the eye than the current signs.

"However, if this is another barrier for approval of our request, we would suggest that you create a category which would apply to educational institutions alone."

State Alexander, executive assistant to the president at Livingstone College, said his school and others would adopt strict guidelines for the appearance of electronic signs "which we believe would not take away from the historic nature and appearance of our campuses."

"The ability to change and move messages to the community is important to us," Alexander wrote in his own letter to Treme.

The current Salisbury sign law prohibits the kind of signs the colleges want.

Dan Mikkelson, land management and development director for Salisbury, said the Community Appearance Commission and Planning Board have studied the question in the past and as early as 2002, when John Riley of Central Carolina Insurance sought an electronic sign with changing text.

Riley eventually withdrew his request because the proposed standards were not what he wanted.

The technology related to the signs has continued to advance, Mikkelson said, describing high-definition video signs that have the same capabilities as wide-screen televisions.

Federal guidelines call for words, pictures and graphics associated with changing electronic signs to remain static for at least 8 seconds. There are concerns — and the Federal Highway Administration has commissioned a study — about the safety risks of these kinds of signs because they might be distracting to drivers.

The Planning Board deferred action because of the pending study, Mikkelson said. The Community Appearance Commission previously has recommended against text and full-video display signs, he added.

"We'd really like council to provide some direction on this," Mikkelson said.

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