New Michigan Sign Regulation Guidebook Available Now!
- Click here to view the table of contents of the Michigan Sign Regulation Guidebook
- Brochure
The Planning and Zoning Center at MSU (PZC), a part of the Land Policy Institute, has developed a new sign guidebook for use by local government officials. Mark Wyckoff, PZC director led the project and is a co-author. The new Michigan Sign Regulation Guidebook is a necessary addition to the library of Municipal attorneys. Attorneys that handle sign cases, assist with writing, administering or enforcing sign regulations will find expert advice in the Guidebook. In addition, the Guidebook is a “must have” for attorneys that are involved in risk reduction activities in their client municipalities.
The new guidebook will replace one prepared by Wyckoff in 1989 for the then Michigan Society of Planning Officials (now Michigan Association of Planning). The guidebook will address a wide range of issues associated with local sign regulation with a major focus on legal issues and how communities can develop sign ordinances that minimize legal risks. The guidebook will include information on how to regulate different sign types, as well as approaches to sign regulation that preserve “content neutrality,” a critical issue under federal First Amendment law. The guidebook will focus on ensuring signs meet the practical functional purposes for which signs are created, while preventing clutter and where feasible, enhancing the scenic quality of a community.
The Guidebook is over 150 pages in length and very thorough. Chapters include as an example, the following: Contemporary Sign Issues, Legal Context and Constitutional Considerations, Ten Regulatory Principles, Special Cases and Problems, Nonconforming Signage, Review of Model Ordinances from a Michigan Perspective and others dealing with critical sign regulation issues.
The project is being done in partnership with Scenic Michigan, a statewide nonprofit organization dedicated to protecting, enhancing and improving the visual quality of Michigan’s communities and protecting the state’s unique scenic assets. Scenic Michigan is a chapter of the national organization known as Scenic America.
Brian Connolly a law student at the University of Michigan (who has two degrees in urban planning) assisted on the Guidebook along with a large advisory committee made up of Michigan local planning practitioners, attorneys and members of the Scenic Michigan Board. Retired city of Troy Planning Director, Larry Keisling is coordinating the project for Scenic Michigan, where he is a board member. In addition, the two leading national experts in sign law are assisted the project team with guidance on challenging federal sign legal issues: Professor Daniel Mandelker, and Professor Allan Weinstein. Gerald Fisher, professor at Cooley Law School is providing similar assistance with regard to Michigan law.
The Guidebook is available for purchase below for a cost of $35. For more information, click here to download the guidebook brochure or contact Scenic Michigan at info@scenicmichigan.org or at 231-347-1171.