Programs & Projects : Urban Planning & Design, Tucson

Historic Landmark Signs (HLS)
Preservation Program

Tucson has a unique character, history, and identity reflected in its historic and iconic signs. On June 28, 2011, the Mayor and Council passed an ordinance to amend the Sign Code, encouraging the maintenance, restoration and reuse of historic signs.

Documents:

Historic Landmark Signs Ordinance 10903 - .pdf
Treatment Plan/Application for Historic Landmark Sign Designation - .pdf Word .doc
Designation Terms & Conditions Form - .pdf Word .doc
Proposition 207 Waiver Form - .pdf Word .doc

Contacts:
More information about who is eligible to apply for HLS designation, what types of treatments are allowed for HLS signs, and how to complete a treatment plan can be obtained from the Planning & Development Services web site at http://cms3.tucsonaz.gov/pdsd/signs.

Glenn Moyer, Tucson Sign Code Administrator, 837-4975
Jonathan Mabry, Tucson Historic Preservation Officer, 837-6965

RECENT HLS DESIGNATIONS:

Sign

Sign Owner / Location

Date

Hotel Congress
311 E Congress Street

Application
Photo Page A - Condition Assessment
Photo Page B - As-Built Sign Condition

Oct. 13, 2011

MEDIA STORIES & ARTICLES:

View stories and articles about Tucson's neon sign, their preservation, and the Historic Landmark Signs program.

January 18, 2012 - "'Neon Pueblo' lights up again as tourist draw," Arizona Daily Star

December, 2011 - "Neon sign will grace its corner no more: Tucson Seat Cover moving, won't be allowed to put it up," Arizona Daily Star

November, 2011 - "Resurrecting Neon: Let there be lights," Arizona Highways

August, 2011 - "Bending the Rules: saving iconic neon in Tucson," Sign of the Times news article.

October 19, 2010 - "Neon Artistry", segment aired on KUAZ's Arizona Illustrated.

May 31, 2011 - "Restoring Neon Signs" segment aired on KUAZ's Arizona Illustrated.

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HISTORIC LANDMARK SIGNS - PROJECT HISTORY

Subcommittee
An ad-hoc subcommittee of the Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission was formed to work with staff. This subcommittee has 8 members, 5 with voting rights:

Name	Affiliation	Voting Status
Carlos Lozano, Chair	Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission	Voting
Demion Clinco	Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission	Voting
Jude Cook	Citizens Sign Code Commission	Voting
Lee Oler	Citizens Sign Code Commission	Voting
Steve Rendon	Historic Sign/Business Owner	Voting
Dirk Arnold	Historic Sign Advocate	Non-voting
Michael Keith (Proxy: Teresa B. Vasquez)	Downtown Tucson Partnership	Non-voting
Geno Rosburg	Sign Industry Representative	Non-voting

PROJECT DOCUMENTS

Agendas	Meeting Materials	Legal Action Report	Meeting Notice*
Tues., June 28, 2011 - PUBLIC HEARING Communication: Tucson Sign Code Amendment, Historic Landmark Signs Ordinance Attachment A: Brief Description of the Amendment Attachment B: Proposed Ordinance Attachment C: Flowchart Depicting the HLS Application & Designation Process Attachment D: Ordinance 10903 Powerpoint Presentation: from June 14, 2011 Study Session		Action Summary
Tues., June 14, 2011 - STUDY SESSION Memorandum: Tucson Sign Code Amendment, Historic Landmark Signs Ordinance Attachment A: Brief Description of the Amendment Attachment B: Proposed Ordinance Attachment C: Flowchart Depicting the HLS Application & Designation Process Powerpoint Presentation		Action Summary
Thurs., May 19, 2011 - City Hall Mayor & Council Chambers 2:30 PM - CSCC Regular Meeting, Agenda Item #7 MATERIALS Memo dated 5/16/2011 to CSCC Members, from Principal Assistant City Attorney McMahon pdf Memo/Report dated 4/21/2011 to CSCC Members, from Planning & Development Services Department Staff pdf Proposed HLS Ordinance (marked-up pdf; clean pdf) *Revised* Proposed HLS Sign Review Flowchart pdf Letters of Support received, declaring support for HLS Sign Code amendment: Companies: James McPherson III, Arizona Preservation Foundation Richard DeNezza, College Place J. Peter Hershberger, Arizona Center for the Study of Children and Families Michael Keith, Downtown Tucson Partnership Individuals (letters are not provided here to protect the privacy of the authors): Charles & Diana Nathan Joan Patch Joanne Jenkins Marcia Sparks Rick Volk Ron Spark Sarah Herr
Thurs., Apr. 21, 2011 - City Hall Mayor & Council Chambers 2:30 PM - Regular portion of CSCC Meeting 3 PM - Public Hearing on HLS Sign Code Amendment MATERIALS Memo/Report to CSCC Members, from Planning & Development Services Department Staff pdf Proposed HLS Ordinance (marked-up pdf; clean pdf) Proposed HLS Sign Review Flowchart pdf		Minutes (draft)
Thurs., Mar. 17, 2011 - 2:30 PM, City Hall Mayor & Council Chambers Citizens Sign Code Committee review of new PDSD-HCD proposed Sign Code amendment (Materials will be the same as those distributed for the 1PM Plans Review Subcommittee meeting)		Minutes
Thurs., Mar. 17, 2011 - 1:00 PM, City Hall Mayor & Council Conference Room Plans Review Subcommittee of the Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission meeting to review new PDSD-HCD proposed Sign Code amendment, drafted after discussion at 3/4/2011 HLS Ad Hoc Subcommittee and approval by the Subcommittee		Minutes
Friday, Mar. 4, 2011 HLS Ad Hoc Subcommittee meeting to review PDSD proposed Sign Code amendment and reconcile the different proposals		Action Report
Thurs., Feb. 17, 2011 2nd Presentation of the Draft Ordinance to the Citizens Sign Code Committee MATERIALS HLS Ad Hoc Subcommittee Sign Code Amendment Draft Ordinance Components: Article III. PERMITS, FEES, INSPECTIONS AND DESIGNATION OF HISTORIC LANDMARK SIGNS pdf Figure I. General Review Procedures Article XIII. HISTORIC LANDMARK SIGNS pdf Figures from Sign Code Sec. 3-81 Guidelines for Review and Applications for Designation pdf Supporting Documentation to the Ad Hoc Subcommittee's Draft Ordinance, requested by the CSCC at 1-20-11 CSCC Meeting: Legal Action Report from the 12-16-2010 Plans Review Subcommittee of the Tucson-Pima County Historic Commission pdf Summary of research on approaches used by other cities to protect historic signs (dated Feb. 2009) pdf Map of Potential Concentrations of HLS, used by Ad Hoc Subcommittee as tool to define 'concentrations' and criteria for relocations of HLS; Map represents HLS Ad Hoc Subcommittee's recommendation, approved on Nov. 4, 2010 pdf Initial Inventory of Potential HLS, organized in ascending order by date of sign (dated Jan., 2010) pdf Photography Exercise: Photo Album based off of Initial Inventory of Potential HLS, presented to HLS Ad Hoc Subcommittee on Jan. 29, 2010 as tool to help them begin creating definitions and criteria (dated Jan. 29, 2010) Due to size, the album is broken up into parts: Part 1 Part 2 Part 3 Part 4 May, 2010, letter sent out to sign/business owners in the Oracle Area Revitalization Plan (OARP) project by the Gateway Business Alliance and Citizens STeering Committee, and mailing labels based on Initial Inventory of Potential HLS list Sample letter pdf Mailing labels pdf Staff Report provided by Planning & Development Services staff liaison, Glenn Moyer: Report to CSCC, dated 2/17/2011 pdf PDSD Draft HLS Ordinance pdf Dispensation Exhibit pdf		Minutes
Thurs., Jan. 20, 2011 Presentation of the Draft Ordinance to the Citizens Sign Code Committee		Minutes
Thurs., Dec. 16, 2010 Presentation of the Draft Ordinance to the Plans Review Subcommittee of the Tucson-Pima County Historical Commission		Action Report
Thurs., Nov. 4, 2010	AGENDA ITEMS Discussion of Exhibits illustrating concentrations and relocation criteria Exhibits pdf Alternative HLS Program Proposal: - by Glenn Moyer, Tucson Planning & Dev. Srvcs. pdf - Ordinance schedule impacts pdf Next steps in Ordinance Adoption Process - Final Ordinance Article III pdf Article XIII pdf - Final Application & Review Guidelines pdf	Action Report
Thurs., Oct. 7, 2010	AGENDA ITEMS Discussion of Guidelines document changes & exhibits illustrating distances related to separation radii between signs Guidelines pdf Changes to Ordinance: Article III pdf Article XIII pdf Flowchart pdf Discussion of Possible Incentives for HLS Owners (discussion only - no handout) Next Steps in Ordinance Process (discussion only - no handout)	Action Report
Thurs., Sept. 23, 2010	AGENDA ITEMS Presentation and discussion by Tucson Sign Code Administrator re: Nissan Auto Body Case reviewed by Sign Code Appeals Advisory Board (SCAAB) pdf Response to comments made by Mark Mayer at the Call to Audience during the August 12, 2010 HLS Subcommittee Meeting pdf Discussion of changes to Guidelines document and exhibits illustrating the distances related to the separation radii Guidelines pdf Discussion of changes: Article III pdf Article XIII pdf Flowchart Detailed pdf Streamlined pdf Discussion of possible incentives for owners of HLS	Action Report
Thurs., Aug. 12, 2010	AGENDA ITEMS Final draft of Application & Review Guidelines pdf Draft HLS Ordinance & flowchart: Article III. Permits, Fees, Inspections and Designation of Historic Landmark Signs (clean) pdf (stikethru) pdf Article XIII. Historic Landmark Signs [procedures] (clean) pdf Concentration of Signs: Examples of Distance pdf Procedure Flowchart Streamlined pdf Descriptive pdf	Action Report	Email
Thurs., June 3, 2010	AGENDA ITEMS Final drafts documents for Sign Code Amendment: A) Application & Review Guidelines pdf PDSD Sign Staff comments (6/3/10) pdf PDSD Sign Staff email notations (6/3/10) pdf B) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) pdf	Action Report	Email
Friday, May 7, 2010	AGENDA ITEMS List of Incentives for HLS Designation and Treatments pdf Staff presentation pdf Proposed application and review procedures for HLS Designation and Treatments pdf Discussion of HLS districts concept (no handout)	Action Report
Friday, Apr. 9, 2010	HANDOUTS Revised Working Definition pdf Revised Guidelines for Allowable Treatment Methods pdf AGENDA ITEMS Historic Sign Districts Concept Staff presentation pdf Incentives for HLS Designation & Treatments	Action Report
Friday, Mar. 19, 2010	Meeting Summary pdf HANDOUTS Secretary of the Interior's Standards for Rehabilitation pdf National Park Service Technical Brief: The Preservation of Historic Signs pdf link AGENDA ITEMS Revised Working Definition pdf Revised Guidelines for Allowable Treatment Methods pdf Staff presentation pdf	Action Report
Friday, Feb. 19, 2010	Meeting Notes pdf HANDOUTS Revised Working Definition (pdf) Glossary of Terms - provided by Subcommittee member Demion Clinco pdf Revised Meeting Schedule pdf AGENDA ITEMS Flowchart of Current Sign Code Procedures (pdf) Staff presentation: Primary Methods of Treatment for HLS pdf Draft Guidelines for Treatments of HLS pdf	Action Report
Friday, Jan. 29, 2010	Working HLS Definition Worksheet pdf Staff Presentation re: Proposed Age Criterion pdf Notes from Committee Discussion/Meeting pdf Draft Photo Album of Photography Exercise pdf Dates and information are subject to change	Action Report
Friday, Jan. 8, 2010	Meeting Cancelled
Friday, Nov. 20, 2009	Examples from Other Cities: - Kenosha, WI Historic Sign Application pdf Additional Definitions of Historic Signs pdf	Action Report	Email
Friday, Oct. 23, 2009	Overview of Current Sign Code (handout) pdf Summary of Discussion of Draft Definition of Historic Landmark Signs pdf	Action Report	Email
Friday, Sept. 18, 2009	Meeting Cancelled due to lack of quorum Draft Definition (as listed on pg. 1 of Draft Program Concept, dated 8/20/09) Draft Inventory of Historic Landmark Signs (11x17 page) pdf Map of Draft Inventory of Historic Landmark Signs (11x17 pg) pdf	(no report due to meeting cancellation)	Email
Friday, August 28, 2009	Introductory Presentation pdf *Background Research Materials:* Program Models Used to Preserve Historic Signs in Other U.S. Jurisdictions pdf Variations on Definitions of “Historic Signs” pdf	Action Report

* Meetings are advertised in compliance with the State Public Meeting Law. Agendas are posted through the City Clerk’s Office and email notices are sent to those who have expressed interest in receiving notice.

Web site last updated on September 30, 2011

Planning & Development Services

Historic Landmark Signs (HLS) Preservation Program