Politics & Government

Woods Council Recommends Repeal of Neon Ban

At a special meeting Monday night, Grosse Pointe Woods City Council voted 5-2 to recommend repealing the city's ban on neon signs.

Despite a 5-2 vote by the Woods City Council Monday to recommend removing , business owners plan to continue gathering signatures from registered voters for their repeal effort.

The vote by council was made during a special Committee of the Whole meeting, which means it is a recommendation only. Council members will vote on the issue during their next formal council meeting Feb. 28. 

Business owners and Councilwoman Lisa Pinkos Howle planned to celebrate the victory after the meeting at one of the very businesses that originally appealed to keep the neon signs: . 

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The motion to remove the city's ban on neon came from Councilman Joseph Sucher, who has repeatedly stated he is against the city allowing neon, describing it as garish. More than an hour into the meeting, Sucher made the motion after Pinkos Howle pointed out that all the discussion related to grandfathering might be moot  if the issue makes it to the November ballot for general election. 

"It was obvious that we were going to go down that road anyway," Sucher said after his motion. "It was not my preferred outcome... I assume this is what they were after. If (anyone) was against it no one was here."

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Eight businesses have banned together after they lost their appeals with the planning commission and the city council. They began a repeal effort to let voters decide whether to remove the ban from the city's sign ordinance. They have gathered more than 1,000 signatures so far. The businesses have 21 days to gather at least 10 percent of Woods voters to get the issue put on the November ballot for general election. 

They have about eight days to continue their effort before the signatures must be submitted to the city clerk for verification. About 30 businesses have joined in the efforts to gather signatures. 

"It's a shame that it took this to get it," said the leader of the repeal, Alan Domzalski, co-owner of .  

David Reed, owner of third-generation described council's decision as their way of "gradually kind of getting their way out of this."

The tone of Monday's meeting, which was called by Mayor Robert Novitke, was much more conversational among the council members as compared with the meeting in which business owners presented their arguments for appeal. During the appeals meeting, there was little to no discussion by council, except Pinkos Howle. The council voted over and over to deny each appeal after Sucher read a scripted motion.

Novitke called for Monday's meeting because he wanted to discuss amending the sign ordinance with council members. To start the meeting, Novitke reminded the council that he has always wanted the neon to be regulated rather than banned. He also noted that many council members said they felt they didn't have a choice in how they voted during the appeals hearing. 

The original purpose of the ban, Novitke said, was to prevent neon signs from dominating the Woods business district. Novitke said the neon signs have obviously become part of the community landscape and a grandfathering clause would be appropriate.

The conversation began with recommending a grandfathering clause for all of the businesses that already had neon. The conversation also covered which businesses to grandfather, and Councilwoman Vicki Granger motioned to grandfather all businesses on two lists—one generated in 2002 and the other in 2010. Her motion gained support, but the conversation then turned to whether there might be other businesses that should be included in the clause that didn't make either list. 

Granger voiced concerns about how to tell a new business owner he or she cannot have neon when a neighboring business may have it. Sucher originally told the council he wanted to have a study and to hear from business owners that don't have neon. He told council the discussion shouldn't be about grandfathering but whether the Woods wants to allow neon or not. 

The mayor told Sucher and other council members he was fine with doing a study and looking at the issue long-term but he wanted to reach a resolution for the current business owners in a timely fashion.

Novitke and Granger voted against removing the neon ban. Novitke said he believes the signs need regulation.

Councilman Arthur Bryant said he would vote in favor of the repeal of neon because of the many other sign regulations within the sign ordinance that also apply to neon, such as the size, the lighting type, etc. 

Bryant, who previously told Patch his hands were tied in his vote during the appeals hearing, said afterward he is happy with the outcome. 

, who is representing several of the businesses who appealed to keep their neon, said "they did the right thing," of the council's decision Monday. Wilson has been helping with the repeal efforts by gathering signatures on behalf of his clients, which includes , Little Tony's, Elan Candies and others. 

City attorney Charles Berschback told council the neon ban will not be enforced by the building department during the interim period from now until the change in the ordinance actually takes effect March 10, assuming council votes the same during its next meeting.

If the vote stays the same, the council will have to address whether any specific regulations appropriate to neon should be added to the sign ordinance, Sucher and Bryant said.

For a look at our live coverage of tonight's meeting, check our Facebook page.


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