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Poway set to ban campaign signs

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The Poway City Council on Tuesday is expected to ban political signs from being placed in the public right away, a move that should end the cluttered mess that city roads and intersections have become the last few election cycles.

Until now, Poway has had some of the least restrictive rules in the county regarding campaign signs, which are allowed just about anywhere in the city as long as they are no bigger than 24 square feet.

Last year thousands of signs could be found around town, often placed like Burma Shave ads of yesteryear. City officials said something had to be done.

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“It’s a great idea,” Mayor Steve Vaus said last week about the tightened rules. “Poway’s become a dumping ground for every sign for every race in the county.”

Vaus said candidates for positions that Poway residents can’t even vote on would often put their signs up, in hopes of getting the attention of people just driving through town.

During the last election cycle two members of the City Council publicly commented about the eyesore.

Councilman Jim Cunningham said he couldn’t stand it anymore.

“I think our city has a giant black eye. We are the laughingstock of the community,” he said during an October 2014 council meeting. “It’s the only time I can say that Rancho Bernardo is doing it better than Poway.”

That same night, Councilman Dave Grosch said he had had counted 598 signs just on Twin Peaks Road alone.

Those comments, and a workshop that was held in March, resulted in the new ordinance to be voted on Tuesday night.

It will ban all signs in the public right of way, not just political signs. City Attorney Morgan Foley has advised the council that all signs that don’t require a permit must be prohibited to be content neutral and consistent with court rulings.

Signs would only be allowed on private property with the consent of the property owner.

Vaus said that’s a good idea too.

“I think it will be a catalyst to get candidates to get out and actually knock on people’s doors to ask permission to put signs up in their yards,” he said. “Anything that gets the candidate closer to the people can only be good.”

Current city rules requiring that campaign signs be removed within 10 days after an election will be eliminated and left to the private property owners discretion.

A new size and height limit is also proposed for signs on private property. The maximum size would be 6 square feet and the maximum height would be 4 feet.

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