Merchants located downtown and on the city's West Side will now be able to hang projecting signs from their storefronts.
Charleston City Council unanimously passed Bill No. 7682 at its meeting Monday night, which amends the city's zoning ordinance to allow blade signs in the central business district (downtown) and the urban corridor district.
The blade signs, oriented primarily for pedestrians, cannot exceed 6 square feet in size and must be between 9 and 12 feet above a public right-of-way, according to the amendment.
Councilwoman Mary Beth Hoover, whose ward encompasses downtown, said she's been approached by store owners in the past who wanted to install projecting signs.
"A lot of times when you're driving down the street, you can't see the signage. Blade signs are going to help the city become more walkable, visible, and make it easier for a lot more people to see what's around downtown," Hoover said.
She added that changing the zoning ordinance to allow blade signs in the city's retail hubs "should've probably [been] done a long time ago."
Councilman Cubert Smith also voiced concerns of some constituents in Ward 8 on Monday.
For the past two years, a vacant lot on Milton Street has become an unofficial landfill, Smith said.
According to a December 2013 Gazette article, Smith voiced his concerns on what he called "dumping" by West Virginia American Water at the site.
The company had decided to temporarily store its fill - dirt removed from project sites - at the lot on Milton Street.
Rainfall had caused dirt and silt to run off into the street; according to the article, the city was taking steps to ensure the runoff wouldn't adversely affect residents living near the site.
"Two years is not temporary," Smith said Monday, adding that refuse is being dumped at the site by people who want to avoid paying tipping fees at the landfill.
"No where in the city would this be tolerated, and I think the people who live next to this have suffered long enough," he said.
No one responded to Smith's concerns during the meeting.
Also on Monday, Council voted to:
n Approve naming a private drive at Littlepage Terrace located off Rebecca Street as Nesmith Court
n Authorize an application to the West Virginia Division of Justice and Community Services for a Justice Assistance Grant for $57,000 to provide partial salary reimbursement for a Prevention Resource Officer at Capital High School and Stonewall Jackson Middle School. The city is required to provide a 25-percent match to supplement the grant funds requested.
n Authorize an application to the state Division of Justice and Community Services for a Justice Assistance Grant for $112,000 to provide partial salary reimbursement for Metro Drug Unit officers from the Charleston, South Charleston, Nitro and St. Albans police departments. A 25-percent match is comprised of supplemental salary and benefit costs incurred by each participating agency.
n Authorize an application to the MetLife Foundation for up to $20,000 to support the West Invest Project for neighborhood revitalization on Charleston's West Side.
n Approve a bid from Stephens Auto Center for $72,370 to purchase a 2016 Ford F-550 dump truck to be used by the Street Department.
n Approve a bid by OP Aquatics for purchase of pool chemicals by the Parks and Recreation Department. The chemicals will be purchased on an as-needed basis.
Reach Elaina Sauber at elaina.sauber@wvgazettemail.com, 304-348-3051 or follow @ElainaSauber on Twitter.