Sign is too big

Does the appearance of the entrance to our community matter? Do you care whether a 23-foot-high sign was approved for the height of the North Valley Hospital sign? All other businesses have to have 10-foot-high signs. Does this matter? Sure it does.

Whitefish has worked hard to develop and implement a sign ordinance. It's obvious that we have an effective ordinance when you drive through town, and it's a reflection on the fact that our community and the businesses within it care about our character.

Unfortunately, the Whitefish Planning Department and the Whitefish City Council have egregiously undermined our sign code by granting North Valley Hospital this variance.

While being concerned with being able to find the hospital, do we think bigger is better? The hospital main entrance at JP Road was never properly signed, and that's why people can't find it and showed up at a hearing in May.

Apparently, the council felt it was their responsibility to work with the hospital on their sign. The council was remiss in approving the height. The planning department did not offer a height restriction as one of their seven conditions — why not?

Everyone is afraid that someone will miss this sign. They won't if it's closer to compliance. The hospital is a business as well as a public entity. Does it have a right to have a sign more than double the size of everyone else's?

How do you say no to the mall when they are asked to comply with the sign code, or the high school or the fire department? What avenue is available now to concerned citizens? Is it legal action or perhaps public outcry?

I met with hospital CEO Craig Aasved and he was pleasant. I asked him, since he has to mount the sign on two poles, could he bring the height down seven feet and add landscaping, as is required by the sign ordinance.

He listened but went ahead with his plans as drawn — same sign, two poles, no landscaping, same height.

Maybe he will listen to you. Call Craig and ask him to work with the community and stay within the requirements of our sign code, and bring the height of his sign down seven feet.

This would result in a sign 16 feet high and more than visible from U.S. Highway 93. He can be reached at 863-3500 or caasved@nvhosp.org.

Thank you.

Joan Vetter Ehrenberg

Whitefish