Stephens Co. Commission Continues Sign Ordinance Discussions

Stephens County Commissioners say they want to meet with a citizens’ committee that has been looking at the possibility of a sign ordinance for the county.

On Tuesday, the county commission again discussed the sign ordinance.

Commissioners were presented with more information and research regarding the sign ordinance from neighboring counties and the University of Georgia’s Carl Vinson Institute.

They also heard again from Joe Ferguson, speaking on behalf of the “Toccoa Tomorrow” group.

Ferguson said a sign ordinance is a complicated issue, especially when what Stephens County is really looking at is two separate issues.

“One is the sign ordinance itself and how you will deal with certain signage throughout the county,” said Ferguson. “The second is this challenge of dealing with the preservation of Highway 17, the new Currahee Parkway, and how to preserve the natural beauty of that. We have been talking our whole lives about the gateways to our community and preserving the beauty of these gateways.”

Stephens County Commission Chair Dennis Bell agreed that the sign ordinance can be complex.

He said it is going to take more than discussion at regular commission meetings to get something done and encourages commissioners to have a special meeting with “Toccoa Tomorrow” to really dig into the sign ordinance.

“I would like, if there is a way, to have a special called meeting and discuss this with ‘Toccoa Tomorrow’,” said Bell. “I really think we need to come together and look at this thing as a team.”

Ferguson also said that is a good idea and the two sides agreed to work on finding a date and time where the two groups could come together for that meeting.

Stephens County began discussing a sign ordinance in January.

Recently, Stephens County Commissioners approved a temporary moratorium for signage above a certain size within the unincorporated portions of Highway 17 extending from the Franklin County line to the intersection of the Toccoa Bypass and then continuing on the Toccoa Bypass until it reaches the Habersham County line in Stephens County.

Commissioners said that will protect the four-lane Highway 17 corridor from unwanted signage prior to a sign ordinance being put in place.