The Danville town council has requested the Danville Plan Commission conduct a public hearing on the town’s sign regulations at its March 12 meeting.

Councilman Dennis Wynn brought up the issue after saying he’s received complaints from eight or nine residents about “anti-business regulations” regarding signs. Those citizens talked of others who’ve had similar experiences, he said.

However, Town Manager Gary Eakin and Assistant Town Manager Laura Parker said they’ve never received any formal complaints on the zoning. Eakin said the town’s Board of Zoning Appeals hasn’t received many requests for such variances, which he thinks would indicate widespread misgivings about the rules among the public. Wynn disagreed with that notion.

Wynn said, “When staff’s telling the public you can come for a variance but you’re not going to get it, why even bother?”

Parker said she will tell people when they don’t have a strong case for a variance, saying she doesn’t want them to be blindsided if their request is denied. Kevin Dogan, Danville’s legal counsel, said he can see a deterrent in having to pay for a variance request or going through the process of getting one.

The town’s sign regulations have been in place for 12 years. Council President Marcia Lynch made the case for reviewing them.

The public hearing is set for 7 p.m. on March 12 at the plan commission’s meeting in Danville Town Hall.

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