March 19, 2009

Chamber Connection

Signage: We need to get it right this time

By Pat Dando
President and CEO, San Jose Silicon Valley Chamber of Commerce
Special to the Times

Unlike San Jose, many cities successfully use signage to promote commerce, direct visitors to activities and create an inviting ambiance for potential customers. For a landmark city with the distinction of being the innovation and technology capital of the world, it is unfortunate that businesses are bound to an outdated signage ordinance that sacrifices creativity for uniformity instead of making San Jose a showcase of its own technology.

For years, we have frequently revisited a revamp of the city’s cumbersome ordinance and are about to do it again. While a mutual agreement has not yet been reached, one thing is clear—we need a change of perspective. We can no longer afford to subscribe to the antiquated notion that signage is a necessary evil that is often considered visual blight. Good signage should be viewed as a means to enable all forms of commerce to establish identities that reflect their desired market position and target audience, while complementing the surrounding environment.

This is equally important to large technology companies and financial institutions as it is to the small boutiques and eateries that make up the character of this great city. In a nutshell, signs are good for business by attracting the customers who generate the funds and tax revenues that drive the economic engine of this city.

In the long run, businesses will support an ordinance that will allow them to secure a more permanent place in the community and in turn, make this community more of a commercial center. Studies show that signage enhances the overall appearance of a bustling city. It further provides added allure for visitors by brightly guiding them to the dining, shopping and entertainment areas. Consider the alternative—a seemingly endless array of monotonous storefronts with no draw outside the immediate window dressing. How are we going to attract new businesses to San Jose if we can’t encourage them to create a sense of place or show their calling card?

What would Times Square be without the legendary signage that lights the way for millions of visitors who flock to New York City? What would Hollywood be without the famous sign that bears its name in 50-foot high letters along the Hollywood Hills? Just down the road, the displays of animation and lights along the Universal City Walk have made its signage as much a destination as its back lots. Let’s not forget the legendary Las Vegas sign, known world-wide for greeting visitors coming and going since 1959—setting the tone for the plethora of beckoning signage along the famous Las Vegas Strip.

Permanent signage can serve as a real benefit and an attraction to our city. The technology used on the unique signs outside the HP Pavilion and the McEnery Convention Center are stunning examples of what we have the potential to do going forward. The right signage could play a pivotal role in transforming San Jose into a user-friendly city especially if we are to create an attractive, pleasing environment where people will want to live, work, shop and play. If done correctly, they will attract high-quality development and sweeten property values for years to come. But opportunities like these should not be limited exclusively to city-owned venues. What is good for the city should be good for all.

Combined with well-integrated way-finding signs that help visitors navigate the surrounding streets and highways, this will go a long way in generating the traffic needed to produce the sales tax revenues and keep doors open for business. The recent Redevelopment Agency pilot program—designed to use signage as a business-recruitment and retention tool for developing downtown streetscapes, has resulted in up to a 20 percent increase in patronage due to enhanced visibility since its inception in 2005. Imagine what similar numbers could do for our economy citywide.

I agree that careful planning will be critical in drafting an effective ordinance and guidelines will still be important, especially when developing an overall feel that will become a signature of San Jose—one that demonstrates well-conceived, attractive signage that complements, rather than detracts from, existing structures and individual projects. By tailoring the guidelines to adjust appropriately for everything from the small neighborhood serving retail establishments to the large regional draws, the result could be a bright and inviting example. But these guidelines cannot be so restrictive that lively, innovative ideas won’t have the chance to see the light of day.

A more effective plan should reach out to business owners with incentives to further invest in their future. Allowing them to play a larger role in determining what would best fit their needs would certainly prevent the urge to put up illegal installations under the premise that the cost would be justified, as the signs would help establish their businesses before the city could have them removed. Incentives should also be extended to those with older, larger signs for upgrading and maintenance of new ones.

San Jose needs an ordinance that is fair to all commerce, regardless of size. This time let’s get it right and adopt a policy structured to encourage signage that will breathe new life into San Jose and create a win-win for everyone—the city, businesses, residents and tourists alike.