"Fix-Up 50" campaign to clean up signage in South Lake Tahoe

City Announces “Fix-Up 50” Initiative in time for Summer Tourism Season
Help improve our City’s appearance in preparation for summer guests.

In an effort to help make our City more attractive to our summer season guests and advance the City Council’s Strategic Priority to Improve our Built Environment to more closely mirror South Lake Tahoe’s pristine natural environment, we are focusing attention on excessive and unpermitted signage. City Code, Chapter 6.40, regulates signs in the City of South Lake Tahoe. Most signs in the City require a permit with specific limitations on sign size and design.

Businesses with a permitted sign do not need to do anything. Businesses with unpermitted signs should contact the City’s Planning Division to determine if their signs require a permit or not. Examples of unpermitted signs typically include signs added to the sides of buildings, sandwich boards displayed during times when they are not allowed, temporary signs, and various miscellaneous signs on buildings may not be permitted. Some businesses have extra signs or non-permitted signs added to buildings without the proper permits.

Too many signs on buildings adds to the clutter of Highway 50 and detracts from the natural environment. With the new Fix-Up 50 Initiative, the City’s Code Enforcement Officers will initiate a community outreach and education effort requesting voluntary compliance to remove unpermitted signs. By the end of April 2015, unpermitted signs not removed will be citied.By

Their schedule:

March 23-31 Community outreach—Explorer Scouts handing out informational brochures to all businesses on Highway 50.

April 1-12 Code Enforcement Officers and Planning Officials to confirm/document all unpermitted signs.

April 13-24 Code Enforcement Officers will visit all businesses which have non-compliant signs. Notice will be given to remove signs within 2 weeks.

April 27-May 11 Code Enforcement staff will issue citations to violators who have not acted upon the warning. Further, we will remove all signs which were not removed voluntarily to retain as evidence of the violation.

You may find out more information on the subject of signs by referring to the City’s website, click on the Government—City Council—City Code tabs, then search for Chapter 6.40. You can also contact the City Planning Department for information about getting a permit at (530) 542-6010.