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Preserving Tifton's Charm: Council Makes a Bad Decision
| Posted on April 18, 2017 at 2:52 PM |
Remember that scene in the film “It’s a Wonderful Life” when
Jimmy Stewart finds himself in an alternate universe of downtown “Pottersville”?
Stewart’s previous charming town of Bedford Falls is now a place of tawdry
lighted signs on every building.  Well, Tifton is no Pottersville, at least not yet. But Tifton
City Council made a bad decision Monday night that could have a long-term,
far-reaching effect on the kind of town we have in the future. Yes, I am a member of City Council; and yes, I was involved
in the issue. City Council voted down, 3-2, a proposal, recommended by a
citizens committee and endorsed by both the Tifton Historic Preservation
Commission and the Tifton Planning and Zoning Commission. The proposal was to amend the city’s Historic District
guidelines to read that “electronic graphic display signs are not appropriate
in the Historic District.” What does that mean?
Well, you know those electronic LED signs that scroll or have video
displays? The proposed ordinance would have added language that such signs don’t fit
the character of Tifton’s Historic District and generally should not be allowed
within the district. They would still be allowed elsewhere in the city, such as along
U.S. Highway 82 where the majority of such signs are currently found and where
they are appropriate. Admittedly, this isn’t a problem in Tifton right now. There
are relatively few electronic graphic display, or EGD, signs within the
city. But current law allows them in the
Historic District and that could be an issue one day. If a store in Downtown Tifton erects a bright EGD sign,
what’s to stop adjacent businesses from doing the same? The city cannot rightly
discriminate and allow some businesses to have such signs but not others next
door or a few doors down. And downtown businesses are concentrated close together, unlike many businesses scattered around the city. To use an apt cliché, once the proverbial toothpaste is out
of the tube, it can’t be put back. So, once EGD signs proliferate in the Historic
District, they are “out of the tube,” so to speak. The argument that some businesses
need electronic graphic display signs to advertise in today’s world doesn’t
relate to our downtown. Such signs make more sense, say, along Highway 82 when
they are attempting to catch a driver’s attention. Downtown Tifton is doing quite well without a bunch of EGD
signs enticing customers. Our downtown is modern and growing while retaining
the charm of its past. There are many cities – and I know this from personal
experience – that would absolutely love to have a charming, bustling downtown such
as ours. Tifton’s downtown has atmosphere, from the restored Myon
Complex and City Hall, to the unique shops and eateries, to Veterans Park and
Tifton Gardens, to the more recently created Gateway park. Additional
improvements are occurring at this very moment as the Streetscape project
continues along Commerce Way, and more appropriate lampposts with LED lighting
are being erected throughout downtown. I believe we have something special in Downtown Tifton and
our Historic District. It is our responsibility to see that we have an
efficient, functional, growing city today while ensuring we preserve our
hometown charm for future generations to come. It is a constant balancing act; I just hope we haven’t
ultimately tilted things in the wrong direction. Frank
Sayles Jr. is editor and publisher of the Tifton Grapevine. On City Council he
represents District 4, which encompasses most of the city’s Historic District.
Sayles and Mayor Julie Smith voted for the proposed ordinance. Councilmen Wes
Ehlers, Jack Folk and Johnny Terrell voted against it. |
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