Outdoor regulation changes coming for businesses

In the coming months, effort will be put in to revising the rules that govern the aesthetics of Verona. Business owners need to pay attention as this work will significantly change outdoor display regulations and potentially other design aspects. Citizens who care about the appearance of Verona also need to keep an eye on it. Watch the Plan Commission agenda that gets posted on the City's web site, at City Hall and in the entry area of Miller's.

Three major facets of the regulations are coming under review simultaneously:

OVERLAY DISTRICTS: There is currently a "Downtown" overlay district that covers the central blocks of Main St and Verona Ave, in addition to a "Verona Avenue" overlay that covers most of Verona Ave. These districts tack on rules in addition to the usual zoning-based regulations. The two districts overlap each other, so some properties have three layers of rules to sift through. The Plan Commission will be reviewing a potential consolidation of the two overlays, expansion of the boundaries and merging of the rules.

ZONING RULES: An abundance of outdoor displays on various properties has attracted the attention of a few Plan Commission members. The two flavors that are coming under the most scrutiny are vehicles for sale and stacks/bins/machines of products for sale at various commercial establishments. Tighter regulations are being proposed for all of these displays, particularly in the downtown area.

PROCEDURES: Currently, the letter of the law requires that even the most minute outdoor displays go through a cumbersome and costly process for approval. The Zoning Administrator has applied some common sense to certain minor requests and has been administratively approving them in lieu of the full process. The unfortunate side effect is that it is leading to some inconsistency across the City. Proposals are being formulated to codify different levels of review based on defined criteria.

The primary goal of the revisions is to keep the City of Verona looking attractive and vibrant, which keeps our economy and quality of life strong. In order to do this, there also needs to be a goal of attaining better compliance with zoning regulations. Compliance will be better facilitated by making it easier for property owners to know/understand the rules, as well as by making government more efficient/responsive.

The goals are all positive. Nonetheless, they will result in a number of changes to the rules, and it is important for affected parties to pay attention and offer feedback early in the process.