Temporary Sign Moratorium Along 17 Corridor Extended

The Stephens County Commission will keep a signage moratorium in place along the county’s Highway 17 corridor while work on a sign ordinance remains ongoing.

Tuesday, county commissioners voted unanimously to extend a temporary moratorium for signage along the unincorporated portions of Highway 17 from the Franklin County line to the intersection of the Toccoa By-pass and then continuing along the By-pass until it reaches the Habersham County line for another 90 days.

County commissioners first passed the moratorium in February and extended it once already in May as county commissioners and a citizens’ group have worked on a proposed sign ordinance to put before the commission for its consideration.

Supporters of such an ordinance said it is needed to control signage’s effect on the appearance of the Highway 17 corridor.

Stephens County Commission Vice-Chair Debbie Whitlock said that those working on the ordinance have reached out to landowners along the Highway 17 corridor.

She said they only heard back from a few of those landowners and their opinions varied greatly.

“One was a letter and I think she wanted no signage,” said Whitlock. “The other three I spoke to personally. Two of them wanted signage, but with restrictions and the other property owner felt that people should be able to do what they want with their property and there should be no ordinance and you could have whatever sign you wanted out there.”

Whitlock said that county officials and the citizens group will keep reaching out to property owners along the road and looking at options for a proposed sign ordinance.

No time frame was given for having a proposal ready for the county commission to look at.