Lost Coast Brewing’s digital billboard graces the southern entrance to Eureka. File photo: Andrew Goff.

Digital signage has been popping up all around Eureka lately. More and more businesses want to get in on the hot digital action!

Yet some people do not like digital signs at all. 

It’s become a Thing, and for the last few months Eureka city government has been crafting ordinances to limit or allow the things. The city council is scheduled to hear the issue at its regular meeting on March 20.

In the meantime, Eureka staffers are conducting surveys of local businessfolk and everyday, non-business-having citizens to take the town’s temperature on the issue. There are a lot of things to think about here. Are some styles of digital sign more acceptable than others? Are they OK on Broadway, say, but not elsewhere?

If you have an opinion — or even if you don’t, really — you can look at and/or fill out the survey in the links below. If nothing else, it’ll give you some idea of the way that city staffers are approaching this issue. They seem to have options in mind beyond banning ‘em all or giving the market free rein.

Press release from the City of Eureka:

The Eureka City Council is currently evaluating the City’s regulations regarding digital signs, which are also known as electronic signs, electronic message centers, LED message centers, and reader boards. Digital signs utilize computerized high-resolution LED displays that produce rapidly changing customized message content. In many ways, digital signs are large television screens. Approximately nine digital signs are currently operating within Eureka City limits.
The Eureka Municipal Code (EMC) currently allows digital signs in all commercial and industrial zones with the same size restrictions as other types of signs. The City Council is considering modifying these regulations and has directed Eureka City staff to evaluate the impacts and benefits of digital signs.

Among the information sought by City Council is the opinion of the general public as well as the opinion of business owners. Accordingly, the City of Eureka is gathering input regarding digital signage via two on-line surveys (linked below). The first survey will help inform Eureka’s policy makers about how the public, including both Eureka and non-Eureka residents, feel about digital signs. The second survey will provide information about how business owners feel about digital signs. This information will help to shape the way that digital signs are regulated in Eureka in the future.

For members of the general public interested in expressing your opinion regarding digital signs, complete the following survey: [CLICK HERE]. Note that you must provide the address where you live to complete the survey. The survey will close on March 9th .

For business owners interested in expressing your opinion regarding digital signs, complete the following survey: [CLICK HERE]. Note that you must provide your Eureka business license number to complete the survey. The survey will close on March 9th.

To find web links to each survey, go to the “News” section of the City of Eureka homepage here: http://www.ci.eureka.ca.gov/. The Eureka City Council is tentatively scheduled to discuss digital signs at the upcoming March 20 th City Council meeting. For more information about the City’s current digital sign regulations, contact Brian Heaton at 707-441-4160.