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0 of 3 Premium Clicks used this month SUBSCRIBE Print + Online Subscriber Activation | Register x Forgot Password | Need an Account? e-edition | subscribe | newsletter | deals Classifieds Jobs Autos Real Estate FEATURED » NEWS NOW Proposed Medford charter school hits roadblock ... Lightning possible, heat certain in coming days ... MADGE arrests six in raid on Medford home ... Proposed Medford charter school hits roadblock ... Lightning possible, heat certain in coming days ... MADGE arrests six in raid on Medford home ... MEDFORD Medford glares at electronic signs More rules proposed to control 'blinky boards' Comment By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 19, 2014 at 12:42 AM By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 19, 2014 at 12:42 AM » Social News Eye-popping images of fireworks exploding on electronic signs would be banned in Medford under a proposal the City Council will review on Thursday. Reacting to complaints from residents, the council will consider recommendations from the Planning Department and Planning Commission that would limit the amount of animation and the intensity of illumination from electronic signs to make Medford look a little less like Las Vegas. The council will hold a public hearing on the sign ordinance at 7 p.m. Thursday at City Hall, 411 W. Eighth St. Flickering, scintillating and flashing signs would become a thing of the past if Medford moves to put more controls on signs that resemble oversized flat-screen TVs. Greater setbacks from streets will also be considered, particularly at major intersections. Ken Troutman of People’s Bank said he doesn’t see much of an issue with the reader board signs in Medford, noting he has one at his Barnett Road store and is considering putting one at his Biddle Road store. “The Planning Department is trying to solve a problem that doesn’t exist,” he said. Troutman said he is disappointed that the city didn’t reach out to the business community as it considers changes to its ordinance. He said he didn’t hear about an earlier public hearing until just a few days before it occurred, and he heard about it from a business associate, not the city of Medford. “My biggest complaint is the (city) staff tried to sneak the whole thing through,” he said. “To me, it’s been disappointing to slip things by with a minimum amount of comment.” Troutman said he has one reader board at his Barnett location that advertises the three businesses inside the building. He said he preferred to install one modest-sized electronic sign at a cost in excess of $60,000 rather than erect three business signs on the property. Occasionally the reader board does community service notices, such as applauding the graduating class, Troutman said. Firework images flashed on reader boards could be distracting, acknowledged Troutman, but he doesn’t agree with increasing the time interval for images to change from two seconds to five, as recommended by planning officials. “That’s way too long,” he said. Councilor Daniel Bunn said he disagrees with the claim that the city hasn’t reached out to the community over this issue. “Absolutely, we want to hear from people,” he said. “I don’t think we’ve been trying to sneak this through.” The city has published agendas and has noticed the Chamber of Medford/Jackson County about the issue, Bunn said. In addition, the city has had numerous meetings and discussions over more than a year. The issue also has been well publicized by local media. Bunn said he hopes local residents speak up at the public hearing to let the City Council know how they feel about electronic signs. “I know there is a lot of worry in the business community,” he said. The code changes were prompted by citizen complaints that increased after the large electronic sign board was installed at the Verizon store across from the Rogue Valley Mall, Bunn said. He said there is also some police data to show the signs are a distraction for motorists. “We couldn’t just ignore the complaints we’ve been receiving from the community,” Bunn said. Chris Cheeley, president of Phones Plus, which operates 13 Verizon stores in Oregon, Idaho and Washington, said he has several large signs in Idaho that feature full-motion video and he rarely gets any complaints. “The reality is that, at first, it’s a big shock,” he said. “I understand that people don’t want their towns to look like Las Vegas.” As residents get accustomed to the signs, the complaints typically die off, he said. In Medford, Cheeley said he’d received complaints initially but doesn’t recall any recently. He said his signs have an auto-dimming feature, which drops down to 6 percent of its brightness level at night. After midnight, the signs go dark, he said. In addition to advertising the Verizon store, the electronic sign near the Rogue Valley Mall also provides public service announcements, Cheeley said. He said he agrees that Medford is looking for a solution to a problem that doesn’t exist, and he hopes the council takes some time to listen to all sides. “What I hope they are doing is not coming to a hasty decision,” he said. Reach reporter Damian Mann at 541-776-4476 or [email protected] . Follow on Twitter at @reporterdm .   By Damian Mann Mail Tribune MailTribune.com By Damian Mann Mail Tribune Posted Nov. 19, 2014 at 12:42 AM » Comment or view comments Reader Reaction » STAY INFORMED Email NewsLetter Sign Up Today Sign up for our newsletter and have the top headlines from your community delivered right to your inbox. Southern Oregon Directory Featured Businesses Loading... 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