There will be no new business signs in Habersham County, at least for the next three months. The Habersham County Commission voted on Monday to impose a 3-month moratorium on all new billboards and other signage in unincorporated areas to give the county time to revise its existing sign ordinance.
Commissioners approved the 90-day moratorium during a called meeting Monday morning. They directed county staff to work with the county attorney to insure revisions to the ordinance are constitutional and work in concert with the county’s Highway 365 Corridor Overlay Management Plan.
District 4 Commissioner, Natalie Crawford, says changes need to be made to the county’s sign ordinance to insure it’s consistent throughout Habersham County and to prepare for the future. “We have an ordinance that needs to be updated to make sure that it is constitutional and pays attention to the safety and welfare of our citizens,” Crawford says. She adds, “Growth is coming whether we want it to or not. It’s coming our direction and we need to decide as a county – as a community – how we want that growth to look.” Crawford says the moratorium gives the county time for careful thought and planning and adds, “It’s about what makes sense for our community.”
District 2 Commissioner, Andrea Harper, agrees. She says the county wants to make sure that the sign ordinance and county overlay plan are compatible. “We needed to give our staff time to meld the two together and see what other cities and counties are doing and see if it will work here.”
Habersham County’s sign moratorium remains in effect until December 15, 2014.
