YUCCA VALLEY PLANNING COMMISSION APPROVES ELECTRONIC SIGN ORDINANCE

Earlier this year, the Yucca Valley Planning Commission heard a request from Joshua Springs Calvary Chapel for a variance from the town’s sign ordinance because the church wanted to install an electronic sign along Joshua Lane. The Planning Commission refused the variance request, but agreed to revise the sign ordinance to address the issue of electronic signs. Managing editor Tami Roleff says at last night’s meeting, the commission was split on the proposed ordinance…

In a 3-2 vote, the Yucca Valley Planning Commission passed a revised sign ordinance at its meeting last night, but the revisions weren’t exactly what Pastor Jerel Hagerman of Joshua Springs Calvary Chapel was hoping for. Commissioners agreed to increase the allowed square footage of monument signs in residential neighborhoods to 32 square feet, but said the electronic message section could only take up 35 percent of the sign. The commission also said the signs in residential neighborhoods must be turned off between 9 p.m. and 6 a.m. Commissioner Chair Steve Whitten and Brad Napientek opposed the revised ordinance because they felt more homework needed to be done on safety issues of electronic signs in residential neighborhoods.

In other business, the commission approved a permit for a short-term vacation rental at 58384 Sierra Vista Drive despite protests from several neighbors, including Craig and Lisa Littleton, who said that they have had to deal with short-term renters swimming naked in the pool next door, a young boy shooting an air rifle toward their horses, renters driving the off-road vehicles up and down the road in front of their house, “loud strange music” from renters who were attending Coachella Fest, and renters who are lost and end up at their house instead of the rental next door. Commissioners said the application was a land-use issue and they could not legally deny the application, and approved it 5-0.