HIGHWAY SIGNS: INTERIM PERMITS S.B. 589:
COMMITTEE SUMMARY
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Senate Bill 589 (as introduced 5-20-09)
Sponsor: Senator Roger Kahn, M.D.
Committee: Transportation
Date Completed: 8-18-09
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Highway Advertising Act to do the following:
-- Require a sign constructed under an interim permit to be a minimum distance from another sign structure.
-- Require the Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) to grant an interim permit for an existing sign structure located in Saginaw County, if an application were submitted between July 1, 2009, and October 1, 2009.
-- Allow MDOT to issue a permit for a new religious organization sign or service club sign measuring less than eight square feet.
The Act generally prohibits MDOT from issuing annual permits for new highway signs, although permits issued before January 1, 2007, remain in force and valid.
The Department must issue an interim permit or permits to a holder of a valid permit or permits if the holder is otherwise in compliance with the Act and surrenders the permit or permits to MDOT upon the removal of the permitted sign structure or structures. An interim permit may be used only for the construction of a new sign structure and must remain in effect without expiration if the fees are renewed annually.
Under the bill, a sign constructed under an interim permit could not be closer than 1,000 feet to another sign structure on the same side of the highway along interstate highways and freeways, or closer than 500 feet to another sign structure along primary highways.
The bill would require MDOT to grant an application for an interim permit for an existing sign structure if all of the following conditions were met:
-- The application was submitted between July 1, 2009, and October 1, 2009.
-- The existing structure was not closer than 500 feet to another sign structure along the same side of the highway.
-- The county in which the existing sign structure is located has a population of less than 211,000 and not more than 175,000 as determined by the most recent Federal decennial census.
(Only Saginaw County meets those population criteria, with a population of about 210,000 in the 2000 census, according to data from the U.S. Census Bureau.)
The bill also would allow MDOT to issue a permit for a new sign structure that measured less than eight square feet for signs in the categories of service club signs and religious organization signs.
MCL 252.307a Legislative Analyst: Curtis Walker
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have little to no impact on MDOT expenses or State revenue.
Fiscal Analyst: David Zin
Analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent. sb589/0910