I suggest you take a minute and voice your opinion.
It seems this committee has been busy at work since last July, and now they are seeking the public's opinion once again. I sat on the Aesthetic Quality of Life Task Force last year, and we covered many topics on how to raise the score on our city's eye candy scale.
The city's Sign Ordinance Task Force was formed last year and is in its final stages. To finish its task, they are seeking public input on allowing what they are calling off-premise advertising in Rio Rancho.
What is off-premise advertising, you ask? Have any one of you driven down the Vegas Strip in Sin City? Times Square in New York? Those are off-premise, digital billboards.
Yes, the Santa Ana Star Casino has a nice big one flashing bouncy hot dogs at you as you drive down N.M. 550. Even Jiffy Lube has their red LED signs on N.M. 528 blinking their messages of "No Waiting" or their reference to your oil looking like "number 2."
Is that where we are heading? The Vegas Strip? What comes to mind is the movie "It's a Wonderful Life," when George Bailey is frantically running down the street of skanky Pottersville looking for his beloved Bedford Falls. I swear those were digital lights flashing outside of Nick's bar.
I went online and took the survey, which happened to be the same day I voted at City Hall, gladly fulfilling my civic duty with honor. Have you voted yet?
There are only six questions in the survey. The first question is: "Would you be in favor of allowing off-premise advertising i.e. digital billboards throughout Rio Rancho?" I cast a No vote for Pottersville.
The next question asked if I was in favor of digital advertising if the size and location were limited. Well, I really can't see a Star Casino-sized sign on Southern Boulevard, so who wouldn't be in favor of limitations?
The next question asked that if I would consider off-premise advertising if I was a business owner. I would have to say that, since the signs grab your attention — and at the moment, there are not a lot of blinking signs in the city — my business would probably stand out from the others. Therefore, yes, I would consider it. I drank the Kool-Aid, call me a traitor.
Let's consider this: We are the City of Vision. Doesn't that mean we should be on the leading edge of technology? Shouldn't we be using fiber optics, LEDs, digital and lasers on every street corner in town?
The final question asked how far from a residential area would off-premise advertising be appropriate. I can't help but feel like these signs are coming. Sure, it starts with one little LED "OPEN" sign in an oil change shop. Next thing you know, Smith's is flashing flying loaves of bread on a 20-foot beacon in big red letters flashing "HOT. HOT. HOT."
Quote of the Week: "You see George, you've really had a wonderful life. Don't you see what a mistake it would be to just throw it away?" — Clarence from "It's a Wonderful Life."
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